An Oklahoma City woman, Linda Hollrah, has filed a negligence lawsuit against Sonic after surviving a random stabbing in a Sonic Drive-In parking lot last December. She alleges the company failed to provide basic security and working surveillance, leaving her with multiple stab wounds, heavy medical bills, and no ability to work during her recovery.
Recalling the ambush, she said, “Before I knew it, he just came straight up to my car, said no words to me, and just attacked me and just kept stabbing and stabbing,” as she sat in her car. The attack caused injuries to her kneecap, forearm, thigh and abdomen, including a nicked liver that required repair, and she remains unable to work while she heals, according to Yahoo.
What the lawsuit says
The complaint, filed in Oklahoma County District Court, accuses Sonic Drive-In and affiliated defendants of negligence for allegedly skimping on security measures and allowing surveillance cameras to sit broken at the time of the attack. The filing connects those alleged failures directly to the Dec. 16, 2025 stabbing at the Sonic near Northeast 23rd Street and Santa Fe Avenue. Hollrah is seeking damages for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering, according to The Oklahoman.
Police release images, seek tips
Oklahoma City police have released video and still images of a man they say is the suspect, described as a light-skinned Black male between 35 and 45 years old, wearing a multicolored striped hoodie and a beanie. No arrests have been made. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300 or submit a tip at okccrimetips.com, as reported by KOCO.
Legal context and precedent
Premises-liability cases like Hollrah’s often turn on whether a business knew or should have known about potential dangers on its property and failed to take reasonable precautions. Oklahoma courts have recognized a duty of care owed to customers. In a 1986 case, Justia notes that the court stressed whether a business created or allowed a hazardous condition is a question for a jury, a point that helps frame the issues now facing Sonic in this new lawsuit.
What is next
The case is just getting underway and will move through the Oklahoma County docket, where filings, motions and responses are expected to become public in the coming months. Oklahoma City police say the criminal investigation is still active and continue to urge anyone who saw anything or recognizes the suspect to contact Crime Stoppers, per KOCO.
