Teen’s fatal car crash came after night of underage drinking at bar, NC report says
A tavern owner, his manager and a staff member have been charged with supplying alcohol to a teen who died shortly after in a car crash, according to the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division.
The wreck happened Jan. 19 in Greenville, but details of the ALE investigation were not published until March 20. Greenville is about an 80-mile drive southeast from downtown Raleigh.
“The collision resulted in the death of the driver and serious injuries to the passenger; both occupants were under the age of 21. ALE agents opened an investigation to determine if the consumption of alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash,” the ALE reported in a news release.
“During the investigation, ALE agents obtained information indicating that, prior to the crash, the individuals involved had attended a private employee event on January 18 at Main & Mill Oyster Bar and Tavern in Winterville, a permitted ABC establishment.”
Elijah Monty, 18, was killed in the crash and a 19-year-old passenger was injured, WITN reports.
It happened around 1:10 a.m., Jan. 19, when Monty rounded a curve on Dickinson Avenue, ran off the road and collided with a tree, the Daily Reflector reports.
Evidence in the case, including surveillance video, “showed the underage individuals consuming alcoholic beverages and departing the business prior to the collision,” officials said.
Main & Mill Oyster Bar owner Davie Francisco Munoz, 38, and tavern manager Maria Elena Munoz, 25, have been charged with giving fortified wine, spirituous liquor, or mixed beverages to anyone less than 21 years old, failure to superintend an ABC licensed establishment, and allowing unlawful conduct on ABC licensed premises, the ALE reports.
Tavern employee James Daniel West, 25, is charged with giving fortified wine, spirituous liquor, or mixed beverages to anyone less than 21 years old, and allowing unlawful conduct on ABC licensed premises, officials said.
“ALE will forward its investigative report to the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission for review. Following its review, the Commission will determine whether administrative action is appropriate, which may include a fine, suspension, or revocation of the business’s ABC permits,” the ALE reported.
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 11:19 AM with the headline "Teen’s fatal car crash came after night of underage drinking at bar, NC report says."