Fayette County

Lexington bar presented with proposed penalty after crash killed six. No deal reached

Representatives from a bar accused of serving alcohol to a man who caused a fatal wrong-way crash in January were presented Tuesday with a proposed penalty by city officials.

Horseshoes Kentucky Grill & Saloon is accused of serving alcohol to Joey Lee Bailey, 41, of Georgetown, who was under the influence, according to Lexington police. After going about six miles southbound in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75, Bailey’s pickup truck crashed into a Cadillac Escalade on I-75, killing himself and a family of five.

The crash, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, killed Issam Abbas, 42; Dr. Rima Abbas, 38; and their children Ali, 14; Isabella, 13; and Giselle, 7. The family was on the way home to Michigan from a vacation in Florida, according to the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.

A toxicology report by the Fayette County coroner’s office showed that Bailey had a blood-alcohol level of .306 — nearly four times the legal limit — at the time of the crash, according to police.

Horseshoes bar was initially issued a show cause order on Jan. 31.

The pretrial conference Tuesday morning was closed to the public, but Lexington police say facts of the case were discussed and the proposed penalty was presented to the business, though no agreed order has been reached. A formal public hearing has not been scheduled.

The City of Dearborn, Mich., where the Abbas family lived, posted a photo of the five after they died in a Lexington crash. The city sent its condolences to the family on the loss of Issam Abbas, Dr. Rima Abbas, and their three children, Ali, Isabelle and Giselle.
The City of Dearborn, Mich., where the Abbas family lived, posted a photo of the five after they died in a Lexington crash. The city sent its condolences to the family on the loss of Issam Abbas, Dr. Rima Abbas, and their three children, Ali, Isabelle and Giselle. The City of Dearborn

This story was originally published March 5, 2019 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Lexington bar presented with proposed penalty after crash killed six. No deal reached."

Morgan Eads
Lexington Herald-Leader
Morgan Eads covers criminal justice for the Lexington Herald-Leader. She is a native Kentuckian who grew up in Garrard County. Support my work with a digital subscription
Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW