Two south Philadelphia bars are being sued by the estate of an aspiring Bulgarian ballerina who was killed by a drunken driver in a hit-and-run.
The estate of 22-year-old Polina Kadiyska has filed a civil wrongful-death lawsuit against the driver and two bars where he was allegedly served alcohol on his 18th birthday.
The third-year student at the Rock School for Dance Education had just left a Chinese restaurant and was crossing the street at the intersection of Broad and Ellsworth Streets when she was struck by a car that ran a red light.
After Kadiyska, a native of Bulgaria, was hit, investigators say the car crashed into three parked cars nearby. The driver, identified as DeAndre Barnes, and a male passenger ran from the scene on foot, police said. The men were taken into custody, after returning to the car to retrieve some items.
Barnes, 19, pleaded guilty in February to vehicular homicide while driving under the influence. He is serving five to 10 years in state prison for the March 2012 crash.
The suit also lawsuit names as defendants the owners of T-Barr's Bar and Frantic Nightclub. Both bar owners say Barnes was not drinking in their establishments that night.
