Rick’s Tavern & Grille in Fairfield says it has canceled a prison send-off party for a woman convicted of crashing into and seriously injuring two teenage girls.
The crash occurred around 3 a.m. May 6 at Ohio 4 and Symmes Road in Fairfield.
Samantha Harvey, 51, was charged and later convicted on counts of aggravated vehicular assault and operating a vehicle under the influence with a marijuana specification.
The victims, Edgewood High School students Caila Nagel and Savannah Schlueter, were badly injured in the crash.
Savannah suffered two collapsed lungs, multiple broken ribs, a lacerated kidney, spinal fractures, torn rotator cuffs and a traumatic brain injury, according to her mother, Candy Schlueter.
Caila suffered similar injuries, Candy Schlueter says. She’s been in a wheelchair ever since.
“She’s a miracle,” Candy Schlueter said of Savannah. “God saved her life, hers and Caila’s.”
Word of the party spread through a Facebook event titled “Sending Samantha off to Prison Party,” according to Candy Schlueter, who says she obtained a screenshot of the event page.
“My heart kind of sunk, because I felt like these were two young teenage lives, and you’re taking this so lightly,” Candy Schlueter said. “Having this party, almost in celebration of the accident, and I just ... It really just broke my heart, because I just feel like this is nothing to joke about. Both of those girls could’ve died.”
Rick’s Tavern & Grille, the planned location of the purported party, stated in a Facebook post that the event was canceled and that they were looking at hosting a fundraiser for the injured girls.
“I do appreciate them putting on their Facebook page that they would not condone that or host that,” Candy Schlueter said.
As for Savannah, Candy Schlueter says her daughter is improving with one final surgery coming up, but that the incident has exacted a psychological toll.
“Emotionally she struggles a little bit,” Candy Schlueter said. “She thinks about it all the time and she’s kind of a ‘suffer in silence’ kind of person. She doesn’t really talk about it a lot with anyone, so she struggles with that sometimes. She has some effects from the traumatic brain injury, but it’s improving.”
Harvey is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
Candy Schlueter adds she wants what happened to Caila and her daughter to serve as a reminder that no one should get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs.
Enquirer media partner Fox19 provided this report
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