Two years after suffering catastrophic injuries from what was supposed to be a routine Valentine’s Day margarita, an Oklahoma teacher has died, prompting a new police investigation.
Holly Hill, 30, a third-grade educator, wife, and mother of three, died on Oct. 23 from complications stemming from a 2023 incident at Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in Elgin, Oklahoma. According to Fox23 and News9, Hill was served a drink that allegedly contained industrial cleaner instead of tequila.
“Her mouth was on fire, and she knew something wasn’t right,” Hill’s mother 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 that followed, Hill endured ongoing health struggles. She eventually reached a confidential settlement with the restaurant after filing a lawsuit, News9 reported.
Her obituary described a life marked by quiet strength and resilience. “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,” it read. “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.”
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Days before her death, Hill had undergone another medical procedure. Her mother shared online that doctors found “the hole in her esophagus wasn’t healed but it was a bit better and not as inflamed,” allowing a pulmonologist to assist with stitching it. Hill continued receiving nutrition through a feeding tube and was scheduled for a follow-up swallow study.
However, Hill died on Oct. 23, her family confirmed to News9.
The next day, the Elgin Police Department, under the direction of Comanche County District Attorney Kyle Cabelka, reached out to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. On Oct. 27, Acting Police Chief Ralph Parsons announced that state investigators would “initiate an initial inquiry into this matter and will be assisted by the Elgin Police Department.” Parsons added, “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.”
Efforts to contact the restaurant for comment were unsuccessful.
In May 2023, Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill posted a public apology:
“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. 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. We again want to apologize to her, her family, and the Elgin community. Our prayers continue for her and her family.”
Hill and her husband, Brandon, met at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, where both earned degrees in early childhood education and deaf education. The couple married in 2018.
“Holly had a gift for making every child feel special, capable, and loved … she poured her heart into motherhood,” her obituary stated.
In lieu of flowers, her family has asked for donations to a memorial scholarship or an educational fund for her children, with details provided in her obituary.
