Strip Club Sued For Serving Drunk Police Officer Before Fatal Crash

CHARLESTON — A strip club served alcohol to an already drunk police officer before he caused a fatal wrong way crash, according to a lawsuit.

Patrik Kudlac, a passenger injured in the 2015 Staten Island crash, and the family of Joseph Rodriguez, who was killed, sued Curves Gentleman's Club and another bar in New Jersey for "recklessly" serving their friend Pedro Abad, NJ.com first reported.

"We filed a lawsuit against both bars for over-serving Pedro Abad," said Donald Caminiti, lawyer for the Rodriguez family.

"As a result of that, two people were killed and two people were seriously injured."

The lawyer for Kudlac did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the suits filed in Union County Superior Court, the friends started their night at Central Park bar in Roselle, New Jersey, on March 19, 2015, then drove across the bridge to Curves at 2945 Arthur Kill Road.

While at both spots, workers continued to serve alcohol to Abad despite him "showing signs of being visibly intoxicated," according to the suit.

Abad, a former Linden, New Jersey, police officer, is accused of driving his friends the wrong way up the West Shore Expressway and smashing into a tractor trailer, according to his indictment.

Rodriguez, 28, was seated in the front passenger side of the car and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

"His father and his sister are still grieving," Caminiti said. "They're a very close family and it's very hard for them."

Linden police officer Frank Viggiano, 28, was taken to Staten Island University Hospital South and pronounced dead shortly afterwards, according to police.

Kudlac, 25, was seated in the back seat of the car and was left with serious injuries, according to the suit.

Abad — who was also seriously injured in the crash — was hit with a 27-count indictment last year and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Curves — which is reportedly listed as off-limits for NYPD officers — was previously on the verge of being shuttered by the state in 2014 after three brawls happened inside and in front of the club.

In July, the State Liquor Authority ruled to cancel its license after it was hit with a violation for not serving food, but the license is still listed as active until next year on the SLA's site.

A spokesman for the SLA did not respond to a request for comment and Curves' owner could not be reached.