NEED TO KNOW
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Third-grade teacher Holly Hill died last week from what her family has called complications related to an incident that occurred in 2023.
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Hill ordered a margarita at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in Elgin, Oklahoma, but was served a drink containing an industrial cleaner instead.
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“Struggling to survive countless procedures, hospital stays and uncertain days, he faced each challenge with courage, faith and quiet strength,” his obituary states.
Two years after being seriously injured by a seemingly normal Valentine’s Day margarita at a local restaurant, an Oklahoma educator has died and police are investigating what went wrong.
Third-grade teacher Holly Hill, 30, died Thursday, Oct. 23, from what her family called complications related to an incident in 2023.
That’s when Hill, a wife and mother of three, ordered a margarita at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in Elgin, Oklahoma, but was served a drink laced with industrial cleaner instead, Fox23 and News9 reported.
“His mouth was burning and he knew something wasn’t right,” Hill’s mother told News9. “He immediately jumped up and ran to the bathroom, started vomiting and started rinsing his mouth with water.”
In the two and a half years since then, Hill faced health complications and also reached a confidential settlement with the restaurant after suing, according to News9.
“Over the past two and a half years, as she continued to teach and care for her family, Holly faced a long and difficult medical journey,” loved ones wrote in her obituary.
“Fighting to survive countless procedures, hospital stays and uncertain days, she faced each challenge with courage, faith and a quiet strength that inspired everyone around her. Her perseverance and love were nothing short of extraordinary,” her obituary continues.
Days before Hill’s death, he underwent another procedure, according to his mother, who wrote on social media that “the hole in his esophagus was not healed but was a little better and not as swollen, so they were able to call a pulmonologist to help them sew it up. He will have to continue tube feeding for a while longer. He will have to return in a few weeks for a swallowing study with contrast to check progress.”
However, he died on Thursday, his family told News9.
On Friday, October 24, the Elgin Police Department, under the direction of Comanche County District Attorney Kyle Cabelka, contacted the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
On Monday, Oct. 27, Interim Police Chief Ralph Parsons issued an update confirming that state investigators “will begin an initial investigation into this matter and will be assisted by the Elgin Police Department.”
“The OSBI will be the lead agency in this matter. Holly’s family has been notified and we ask the community to be patient and respectful with the family,” Parsons said.
Efforts to reach the restaurant for comment were unsuccessful Monday.
In May 2023, the restaurant made a social media post that appeared to apologize for the incident: “We are very sorry for what happened… during these 10 years we have never had a situation like this, a situation that should not have happened in the first place.”
holly hill
“We have never shied away from our responsibility and will continue to support you in any way possible while our insurance company is on the case,” the restaurant wrote then.
“We again want to apologize to her, her family and the Elgin community. Our prayers continue for her and her family,” they wrote.
Hill and her husband, Brandon, met while attending Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences in Chickasha, where they double majored in early childhood education and ceaf education.
The couple married in 2018.
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“Holly had the gift of making every child feel special, capable and loved… she put her heart into motherhood,” her obituary read.
His family has requested donations to a memorial scholarship or educational fund for his children, in lieu of flowers, and donation information is available in his obituary.
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