Alliance Country Club pays $5M, adopts alcohol policy to honor 3 killed by drunken driver

CANTON ‒ In death, Charles Neff, David Miller and Diane Clark, could save the lives of innocent drivers and passengers for years to come.

The trio was killed July 15, 2021, when their vehicle was struck head-on by a drunken driver. That driver, Kyle Dougherty, also died. Before he'd climbed behind the wheel of his 2018 Infiniti Q45 that afternoon, Dougherty drank a lot of liquor at an Alliance Country Club men's member-guest golf tournament.

He'd consumed as many as 17 mixed drinks and shots, and his blood-alcohol level was 0.20% (more than twice the legal driving limit in Ohio), according to evidence compiled by attorneys who'd sued the country club.

Family members of Neff, Miller and Clark wanted to know why Dougherty was served so much liquor; why he was permitted to drive from the country club; how they could get at least a small piece of justice; and if there were a way to spare other families from going through what they've endured.

They have accomplished those aspects.

On Monday, Stark County Probate Judge Dixie Park approved a $5 million wrongful death settlement against the country club, on behalf of Neff, Miller and Clark's families. It was the final step in the legal trek. After deducting attorney fees and expenses, each family will get about $1.1 million.

The dollar amount is the easy "headline" story, said their attorney, Lee Plakas, of Plaka Mannos Law Firm. More important, he told Park, is a new country club alcohol service policy, named for the three victims.

"To make our region a safer place," Plakas said.

What is the Clark Miller Neff Safe Service of Alcohol Policy?

In recent weeks, attorneys for Alliance Country Club had not responded to a request for comment for this story.

The new "Clark Miller Neff Safe Service of Alcohol Policy" will have to be signed by every employee hired at the country club. It begins with a statement that "it is not acceptable to ACC that any member or guest becomes intoxicated."

It also acknowledges servers were not previously trained to the same standards as country club managers and bartenders.

The two-page document details some of the warning signs of intoxication and requires servers and bartenders to work as a team. It requires them to report any signs of intoxication to a manager and to temporarily suspend service if they suspect someone has had too much to drink.

"No employee will ever be disciplined for refusing to serve alcohol or for reporting potential intoxication. ... We have your back," the policy states.

The 113-year-old country club's new policy also notes the crash itself.

"In 2021, an intoxicated guest left ACC and killed three people in a terrible car crash," it states, before describing the victims:

• David Miller was a Vietnam War veteran and a retired mail carrier who enjoyed camping and fishing with his brothers.
• His sister, Diane Clark, operated a family-owned coffee shop, was a CPA and lived and breathed for her family.
• Diane's partner, Charles Neff, was an electrician who had recently retired and enjoyed working on a hobby farm and spending time with his four children and his grandchildren.

The crash occurred just east of Maplegrove Avenue NE in Nimishillen Township at 4:56 p.m. on that July day three years ago.

The 66-year-old Neff was driving a Ford Escape. Clark, 65, was next to him in the passenger seat. Her brother, Miller, 71, sat in back.

After impact, the vehicle wound up on its roof in a soybean field. Stark County Sheriff George Maier was among the contingent of safety forces who responded. Authorities remained at the site until after midnight.

Miller, Neff and Clark, along with Dougherty — who all lived in the Louisville area — were among 2,002 people killed in OVI-related traffic crashes in Ohio from 2019 through 2021, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol statistics.

Diane Clark's daughter asks others to sign policy

Some family members, as representatives of the respective victims' estates, were in the courtroom on Monday. Christi Sinchak, Clark's daughter, told the judge how important the policy is to the families.

"It costs nothing to adopt, but can save everything for a family," she said.

The lawsuit against the country club could have gone to trial in Stark County Common Pleas Court. However, the parties ended that case with the settlement. Although terms of the deal are confidential in that case, they were made public in Probate Court, where Park was asked to approve it on behalf of the three estates.

The judge asked each family representative if they understood the financial terms of the settlement and if they were satisfied with their attorneys, to ensure they knew what they were signing.

One by one, each answered 'yes' to all of the above.

Three times, Park ended with "please accept my condolences for your loss."

In her statement to the judge, Sinchak asked other country clubs and restaurants to sign on to the memorial safe-service policy.

Then, she returned to a seat next to her three attorneys and wiped away tears.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or tim.botos@cantonrep.com.On X: @tbotosREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Alliance Country Club pays $5M, adopts alcohol policy to honor 3 killed by drunken driver