Man cut off by Charlotte bartender caused deadly crash, cops say. He’s sentenced

A man who caused a fatal “head-on” crash after being cut off by a Charlotte bartender will spend years in prison, according to the Union County District Attorney’s Office.

Elias Badri Walid Francis, 24, pleaded guilty to felony death by motor vehicle on the day his trial was set to begin, according to a Dec. 9 news release.

He has been sentenced to serve 54 months to 77 months in prison. That’s a maximum of six years and four months.

“On the evening of April 21, 2023, Francis crossed the center line of Unionville-Indian Trail Road, while moving at a high rate of speed, and struck victim Alfredo Palacio, who was driving in the opposite direction,” the District Attorney’s Office said in the release.

“Immediately prior to the wreck, Francis had been drinking at a Charlotte restaurant and had been cut off by the bartender due to his obvious inebriation. As a friend attempted to secure a safe ride home for him, Francis snuck out of the restaurant, got in his vehicle, and left the area.”

Palacio’s vehicle was struck “head-on” and he died at the scene, officials say. Palacio, 52, was a husband, father of five and lived in Indian Trail, according to his family.

A blood test was administered three hours after the crash, and it showed Francis had a blood alcohol level of 0.16, officials said. Drivers are considered legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of at least 0.08%, experts say.

Francis lives in Indian Trail, about a 16-mile drive southeast from uptown Charlotte, records show. The name of the Charlotte restaurant he had visited was not released.

Palacio’s family shared a statement with The Charlotte Observer, thanking the Union County District Attorney’s Office, law enforcement officers “and those who testified.”

“Losing him to a drunk driver has been devastating for our family, and this process has been long and painful,” the statement said.

“Our only hope was that Mr. Francis would be held accountable for the choices that took our father’s life, and we hope it brings awareness to the importance of responsible driving so that no other family has to endure a loss like ours.”

This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 6:11 AM.