NH: Bill would increase penalties for NH bars that overserve customers involved in crashes
Father of woman who died in collision with wrong-way driver pushes for bill

WMUR News
By Tim Callery, News Reporter
June 26, 2023

BEDFORD, N.H. — New Hampshire bars and restaurants could be hit with higher penalties if they are caught overserving customers if a proposed bill becomes law.

The bill has become a mission for a New Hampshire father whose daughter was killed in a car crash.

Elizabeth Croke, 20, was driving home from work in April 2021 on the Everett Turnpike when she was hit head-on by a drunken driver who was traveling the wrong way. The 24-year-old driver who hit her also died.

Officials said he was overserved at a Windham bar before the crash.

“Elizabeth was my only daughter, and she was my life,” said her father, Dave Croke. “And I’m her voice.”

Since his daughter’s death, Dave Croke has made it a priority to make sure another family doesn’t experience the pain of losing a child. He’s working with State Rep. Maureen Mooney to create House Bill 279, also known as the Elizabeth Croke Law.

“It’s in memory of Elizabeth, but more importantly, it’s to make the New Hampshire roads safer,” he said.

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is also involved in crafting the bill, which proposes an increase in penalties for bars that serve someone who is visibly intoxicated when that person directly causes the serious injury or death of another.

The increased penalties include a jump from a $2,500 fine to $7,500, and the 10-day liquor license suspension would rise to 30 days.

Businesses that close due to a suspension will also have to post on their front door the reason for the suspension.

“I’m all for people having a good time. That’s not the purpose of this bill,” Dave Croke said. “It’s just to make people, especially restaurants, aware of the serious consequences if you overserve someone that’s drunk.”

This bill is still being written, but it already has the backing of Gov. Chris Sununu, who in a letter to the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee said it’s needed to ensure the state is doing everything it can to keep communities safe.