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Man Impales Leg on Fence During Dine and Dash

By Deanne Katz, Esq. on July 17, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A man attempting to dine and dash in New Hampshire got a rude awakening when he was impaled on a fence during his getaway.

He was dining at the Hilton Garden Inn when he decided to hop the fence instead of paying his bill. Rather than a quick up-and-over, our man landed on the fence and sent a fence pole through his leg.

He underwent minor surgery but recovered according to statements by firefighters who cut through the fence to help the injured man.

No charges have been filed so the man's name has not been released. That may change in the next few days.

Dining and dashing is a crime and it also caused some financial harm to the restaurant.

In most states, skipping on your bill is called "theft of services" and New Hampshire could charge this man for failing to pay his bill.

Typically a diner eats at a restaurant, thus taking restaurant property, but then compensates by paying for the meal. This not-quite fence-jumper didn't hold up his end of the bargain so the state could press charges for theft.

Criminal proceedings won't compensate the restaurant so the Hilton Garden Inn might choose to bring their own civil suit.

A civil suit compensates a private individual for damages caused by the defendant. A lawsuit by the restaurant could look to recoup the cost of the meal and potentially the damage caused to the fence if it was on their property.

This unfortunate man may have to pay for both his dinner and the piece of fence that he took out with his leg.

Regardless of whether the restaurant sues our clumsy would-be-criminal, his dine and dash certainly didn't end cheaply. While "impaled on fence" doesn't have a clear menu price, it was likely more than the cost of dinner.

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