Lebanon — New Hampshire Liquor Commission officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sale of alcohol to Daniel Cowdrey on the night he allegedly caused a fatal car crash by driving drunk and in the wrong direction on Interstate 89.

When a serious crash has occurred and there is a trail of information leading officials to a place of business that is licensed to serve alcohol, the commission routinely investigates to make sure the business followed proper protocols, said James Wilson, the chief of Enforcement and Licensing.

In this case, Cowdrey told police after the May 25 crash that he was on his way home to Vermont after consuming “a few beers” at Peking Tokyo in Lebanon, according to a police affidavit in Cowdrey’s criminal case.

Cowdrey slammed head-on into a vehicle driven by 34-year-old Ellynn Koelsch, of Cranston, R.I. Koelsch was pronounced dead on scene; her 4-year-old son, Anthony, who was a passenger, was transported to DHMC with serious injuries.

“We will be looking at all of the facts and circumstances around the sale and service of alcoholic beverages,” Wilson said. “It is very common in alcohol law enforcement to become involved when there is a serious incident like this. We look at the source of the alcohol and see how that may have contributed.”

The investigation will entail interviewing witnesses, he said.

The investigation is in a preliminary stage; there is no timeline for when it will be completed, Wilson said.

Oftentimes, he said, his agency waits until a criminal case has been closed before issuing a finding to prevent interference.

A message left at the restaurant for owner Jinmu Lu wasn’t returned.

Cowdrey, who has been charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated and negligent homicide, is free on bail.

According to a document on file in Windsor County, Cowdrey was the at-fault driver in a similar collision in Woodstock in 2001.

Traffic court records show he crossed the center line on Route 4 in December 2001 and collided with an oncoming vehicle. He had a blood alcohol content of .046, the document says, a level below the legal limit for a driver.

Police issued him a traffic ticket; no criminal charges were filed in connection with that crash.

Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.

Clarification

Charges in a fatal car crash on Interstate 89 in Lebanon last month are pending against Hartland resident Daniel Cowdrey. An earlier version of this story was unclear on that point in the first reference to the status of the criminal case.