San Jose Bar That Served Teens Killed in Crash Has License Suspended for 30 Days

A San Jose bar is banned from selling alcohol for the next 30 days after a bartender was caught serving alcohol to two 19-year-olds who later died in a crash.

The two young men were involved in a DUI crash on Interstate 880 after leaving the Nowhere Bar and Grill, 2035 Woodard Road, on January 11, 2013. Both were killed.

California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agents enacted the suspension on Thursday. It comes after the conclusion of a lengthy investigation that followed the deadly crash.

Officials said agents determined an employee at the Nowhere Bar and Grill served alcohol to the two men.

“It’s a stiff penalty,” ABC’s John Carr said. “I mean, if you talk to the owner, they have their own take. Nothing positive happens when a young person is involved in possession of or consuming alcohol. It’s illegal and it’s dangerous.”

According to the California Highway Patrol, Louie Carlos Flores and Joseph Robert Sionne were then driving on northbound I-880 when the car went off the roadway and struck a dirt embankment and ditch.

One of the teens was pronounced dead at the scene while the other succumbed to his injuries at a hospital shortly afterward, CHP officials said.

Thursday’s penalty was a result of a program called TRACE, which stands for Target Responsibility for Alcohol-Connected Emergencies. It uses grant money to investigate serious accidents involving alcohol and minors. 

Bay City News contributed to this report.

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