Copyright WEAU
ELGIN, Okla. (KSWO/Gray News) – An elementary school teacher from Oklahoma is dead after her family says she was served a margarita at a Mexican restaurant that had industrial-grade degreaser in it. Holly Hill, a beloved teacher at Elgin Public Schools and an alumnus of the school, died last week. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating Hill’s death as suspicious, but findings have not been released. Hill’s mother, Kelly Hunter, said her daughter’s life changed forever two and a half years ago when she visited Hacienda Las Margaritas in Elgin. The allegations are highlighted in a civil lawsuit. Hunter said her daughter was served a margarita that was made with “industrial degreaser that contained lye, and that lye damaged her esophagus to the point that my daughter’s been fighting for life for two and a half years.” Hill spent a week in the hospital, but it took more than 12 weeks to keep her esophagus open. “I started to really worry when my baby girl woke up, and I had to tell her she couldn’t eat or drink anything for 30 days. She’d be upset, but she smiled at me and said, ‘I could do that,’” Hunter said. After she believed she had finally recovered, Hill returned to her normal life as an elementary school teacher and bus driver. “As usual, she got up and went back to work because her kids needed her,” Hunter said. But recently, while Hill was at work, she began to feel unwell and spiked a fever. She decided to finish her day at home in bed and planned to go to the hospital in the morning. But overnight, her mother received a tragic phone call from her daughter. “And about 1:18 a.m., she called me, and she was gasping for breath and telling me that she couldn’t breathe, she needed help,” Hunter said. Hunter said she rushed to help her daughter. “She told me, ‘I’m dying mom, but I need you to know that I love y’all.’ And I said, ‘You’re not going to die baby girl, you’re too strong for that,’” Hunter said. Hill’s husband was on the phone with 911 operators when she lost her pulse. That’s when Hunter stepped in and started CPR. “I really don’t know how long I did CPR, it seemed like forever,” Hunter said. When first responders arrived, Hunter thought her daughter was going to be OK because she got her pulse back. But Hill lost her pulse again when the first responders tried to move her. This time, she was unable to be revived. “I sat there and watched my baby die right in front of me. It’s like my heart broke, and that’s not even scratching the surface,” Hunter said. A civil lawsuit alleges the Mexican restaurant is responsible for Hill’s death after their margarita caused long-lasting esophagus issues. Hacienda Las Margaritas confirmed the drink was served to Hill in February 2023, calling it “unfortunate and isolated.” In a statement posted to social media on Tuesday afternoon, the restaurant said it consulted the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement afterward to implement new training and safeguards. The restaurant also said the “civil matter” was resolved earlier this year. The family confirmed a settlement with the restaurant had been reached. But Hunter says she believes someone should face criminal charges. “What I would like is criminal charges filed and someone held accountable for my daughter’s death,” Hunter said. Hunter is remembering her daughter as “loud” with “beautiful dimples and always had a smile on her face and had beautiful blue eyes.” “And she was energetic and caring. She loved babies and kids. And she was honestly my best friend,” Hunter said.
