A simple cocktail order was enough to put a woman through a long-drawn nightmare that saw a hole being burned in her esophagus.
Holly Hill, 30, passed away this month after having the drink during a Valentine’s Day with her husband Brandon Hill.
“Was it an accident or intentional?” many questioned online.
A cocktail order was enough to put a woman through a long-drawn nightmare, which ended with the loss of her life
Image credits: Holly Hill/Facebook
The life-changing dinner took place in 2023 at the Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in Elgin, Oklahoma.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened until the third-grade teacher ordered a margarita for herself.
When she took a sip of the drink, Holly had no idea it was laced with an industrial cleaner.
Image credits: Holly Hill/Facebook
It took her just seconds to realize something was wrong.
“Her mouth was on fire, and she knew something wasn’t right,” her mother Kelly Hunter told News9.
“She immediately jumped up and ran to the bathroom, started throwing up, started rinsing her mouth out with water,” she added.
Holly Hill was having a Valentine’s Day dinner with her husband Brandon when the incident took place
Image credits: Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill
After being rushed to the hospital, doctors found that her esophagus was severely damaged due to chemical burns.
Over the next few weeks, Holly went through immense misery and was constantly going in and out of hospitals for multiple procedures.
The Elgin Public Schools teacher didn’t stop teaching even while undergoing treatment over the last two and a half years.
Image credits: Holly Hill/Facebook
Image credits: Holly Hill/Facebook
“While continuing to teach and care for her family, Holly faced a long and difficult medical journey,” read her obituary.
She survived countless procedures with “courage, faith, and a quiet strength that inspired everyone around her,” the obituary continued.
Holly even shared updates about her health online, admitting that the Valentine’s Day dinner in 2023 “changed [her] life” in ways she didn’t expect.
Melissa Fullerton Lovett who knew the deceased mother-of-three said Holly had to undergo more than 60 procedures “in this small amount of time.”
Following her passing, Melissa shared a message claiming it was the “negligence” of “someone who should have never been behind the bar” that resulted in Holly’s untimely end.
The employee didn’t even know how to read English and served her “industrial grade degreaser instead of margarita mix,” she claimed.
Going in and out of hospitals because routine for the mother-of-three since the life-changing dinner
Image credits: Melissa Fullerton Lovett
After suffering chemical burns, Holly had sued the local restaurant and eventually reached a settlement. She had her last medical procedure on October 17 this year, initially showing signs of recovery.
The “hole in her esophagus wasn’t healed but it was a bit better and not as inflamed, so they were able to call in a pulmonologist to assist in stitching it up,” Kelly wrote on social media.
“She will have to continue tube feeds for a while longer,” she continued. “She will have to come back in a few weeks for a swallow study with contrast to check on progress.”
But Holly’s condition changed a few days later, with doctors noticing severe complications.
“As they were trying to get her ready to transport her, they lost her pulse,” her grieving mother said.
Image credits: Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill
The passionate school teacher passed away on October 24.
Kelly revealed that the family now wants justice, which would include the restaurant being held accountable.
“The number one thing that we really want at this point, and out of this, is we want people to be aware of what happened at that restaurant and to quit supporting them,” Kelly told the outlet.
“We want them to be held accountable for taking my daughter’s life; because they did,” she added. “It might have been a long fight, but ultimately, they are the cause.”
Image credits: Holly Hill/Facebook
The Elgin Police Department announced on social media that Holly’s passing was being investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Back in 2023, the restaurant shared a statement acknowledging how a woman’s life was turned upside down by a drink they served.
“Good afternoon Elgin community. Please accept our apologies for our delay in addressing the situation we encountered a few months ago,” the restaurant said at the time.
They apologized for the incident and continued to say, “we feel deeply since the moment it occurred because during these ten years we have never had a situation like this, a situation that should not have occurred in the first place.”
The local restaurant shared a statement in 2023 after a drink they served put a woman’s life on the line
Image credits: Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill
Holly’s obituary said she met her husband and “love of her life” while studying at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, according to the obituary.
They were described as “inseparate from the start” and tied the knot in July, 2018.
She and Brandon shared three children, Paisley, Finn, and Brady.
Image credits: GoFundMe
The restaurant shared a message this week, saying they were “saddened” to learn about Holly’s passing. They said Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill would be shut for two days out of respect for her and her family.
The business also noted that they took several steps to “prevent any recurrence.”
“We implemented new staff training and procedural safeguards that remain in effect. The individuals involved in that 2023 incident were terminated and have not been employed by or associated with Las Margaritas,” the statement said.
The restaurant shared an update following Holly’s tragic passing
Image credits: Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill
Netizens found the news of Holly’s passing “sad” and said, “this is so awful.”
“They did that to her on purpose,” one claimed.
“Who would sit cleaning supplies next to the drink mix? I hope the family got a good settlement from the restaurant owners,” said one.
Another wrote, “You’d think the margaritas would be safe at a resturant called the house of margaritas.”
“Not passing judgment, but for those still here, it’s a reminder to sip your drink and wait rather than gulping,” one suggested. “I have a problem with taking very big gulps myself. It’s best to verify what is with a small sip.
“This is my fear at restaurants. That’s why I smell my drink sometimes,” read one comment online
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