NEED TO KNOW
Third-grade teacher Holly Hill died last week from what her family has called complications related to an incident that happened in 2023
Hill ordered a margarita at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in Elgin, Okla., but was instead served a drink with industrial cleaner in it
“Through fighting to survive countless procedures, hospital stays, and uncertain days, she met each challenge with courage, faith, and a quiet strength,” her obituary states
Two years after becoming seriously injured from a seemingly ordinary Valentine’s Day margarita at a local restaurant, an Oklahoma educator is dead and police are investigating what went wrong.
Third-grade teacher Holly Hill, 30, died on Thursday, Oct. 23, from what her family has called complications related to an incident that happened in 2023.
That’s when Hill, a wife and mother of three, ordered a margarita at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in Elgin, Okla. — but was instead served a drink with industrial cleaner in it, Fox23 and News9 reported.
“Her mouth was on fire, and she knew something wasn’t right,” Hill’s mom told News9. “She immediately jumped up and ran to the bathroom, started throwing up, started rinsing her mouth out with water.”
In the two and a half years since, Hill faced health complications and also reached a confidential settlement with the restaurant after suing, according to News9.
“For the past two and a half years, while continuing to teach and care for her family, Holly faced a long and difficult medical journey,” loved ones wrote in her obituary.
“Through fighting to survive countless procedures, hospital stays, and uncertain days, she met each challenge with courage, faith, and a quiet strength that inspired everyone around her. Her perseverance and love were nothing short of remarkable,” her obituary continued.
Days before Hill’s death, she had another procedure, according to her mother, who wrote on social media that “[t]he hole in her esophagus wasn’t healed but it was a bit better and not as inflamed, so they were able to call in a pulmonologist to assist in stitching it up. She will have to continue tube feeds for a while longer. She will have to come back in a few weeks for a swallow study with contrast to check on progress.”
However, she died on Thursday, her family told News9.
On Friday, Oct. 24, the Elgin Police Department, under guidance from Comanche County District Attorney Kyle Cabelka, contacted the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
On Monday, Oct. 27, Acting Police Chief Ralph Parsons issued an update confirming that state investigators “will initiate an initial inquiry 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 to the family,” Parsons said.
Efforts to reach the restaurant for comment were unsuccessful on Monday.
In May 2023, the restaurant made a post on social media 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 occurred in the first place.”
Holly Hill/Facebook
Holly Hill
“We have never walked away from responsibility and will continue to support them 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 the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, earning double majors in early childhood education and ceaf education.
The couple married in 2018.
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“Holly had a gift for making every child feel special, capable, and loved … she poured her heart into motherhood,” her obituary stated.
Her family has asked for donations for a memorial scholarship or for an educational fund for her children, in lieu of flowers, with donation information available in her obituary.
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Holly Hill, Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill, Elgin Police Department, industrial cleaner, obituary
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