LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The city of Louisville suspended the liquor license of Veronica's Mexican Restaurant following a fatal DUI crash on May 14.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. in the 700 block of Logan Street, where three women's vehicle struck a building. Ayanna Wilbanks, 19, was killed. Her sister sustained injuries, and the driver, 23-year-old Dasharay Ben'e, faces charges of vehicular homicide.
Prior to the crash, the women had been drinking at the restaurant on Poplar Level Road. Court documents indicate Ben'e claimed she consumed one margarita, but police reported her blood alcohol content was double Kentucky's legal limit. Witnesses stated the women appeared visibly intoxicated and were stumbling.
Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control initiated an investigation following the crash. On Wednesday, they announced the issuance of an emergency suspension order for the restaurant, citing toxicology reports and eyewitness accounts. The Alcoholic Beverage Control's probe into potential violations related to over-service remains ongoing.
This action specifically targets the Veronica's location on Poplar Level Road. According to ABC officials, this marks the 11th emergency suspension order issued under Mayor Greenberg's Safe Louisville plan aimed at enhancing public safety.