Kegs And Tailgating

Tailgating is an important and enjoyable part of the college football culture in Alabama and across the country. The Universities in Alabama even have tailgating rules to improve safety. These rules include everything from the proper use of electricity to limiting dog access in certain areas or events. What they have not banned, unlike many schools across the nation: kegs of beer.

At Yale University, kegs of beer have now been banned from all tailgating events. This rule stems from a very tragic car accident that occurred in 2011. It was the popular Yale-Harvard rivalry weekend, a fraternity brother driving a U-Haul with kegs of beer filling the back was on his way to a fraternity sponsored tailgate party when he ran over a row of pedestrians crossing the street, injuring many and killing one. According to local news reports, the incident happened outside the Yale Bowl, where fans were gathering for the traditional pre-game tailgate party. Using fraternity funds, the brothers rented a U-Haul truck and paid to fill it with kegs for the tailgate. The fraternity brother driving was being impatient on his way to the tailgate party. At a crosswalk, he revved the engine in an effort to move the pedestrians. Accidentally, the vehicle accelerated forward when he pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. The consequences were tragic, injuring several and killing one. This led Yale University to take action and ban kegs of beer during tailgating events. In addition, their new rules will limit commercial trucks on campus to only those vendors who are pre-approved by the university. A wrongful death lawsuit was filed naming Yale, U Haul, the fraternity and others as defendants. Some of the defendants have settled out of court. As for the driving fraternity brother, he passed a sobriety test to exclude him from a DUI charge. However, he was charged with reckless driving but was allowed to enter a program that will expunge the charges from his record, pending completed probation and community service hours. It’s reason enough for other school administrators across the nation to re-think their permissive policies toward student binge-drinking on campus.

Whether you’ve recently been injured in an accident or accused of DUI – our team can help. Contact a personal injury lawyer or DUI attorney from our team today to schedule a free consultation. We have decades of combined experience handling DUI and injury cases in Huntsville and North Alabama areas. Get started today by calling (256) 539-4464 or completing an online case evaluation form.