A Chicago resident was sentenced on Monday to 15 years in prison as a result of a car accident he caused on the Northwest Side in 2011, leading to the death of a mother and her teenage son.
In addition to the two people killed in the crash, three others were injured as well. This included a high school student, who sustained permanent vision and hearing damage, as well as a then 3-year-old child who suffered a broken leg. Another high school student suffered a fractured pelvis.
Despite not having a valid drivers license since 2003, the convicted man continued to drive. On August 9, 2011, while pulling away from Sunnyside Ave., the victim’s Honda Civic was crashed into by a Ford Mustang. While prosecutors argued that the convicted man was simply rushing to pickup his girlfriend, this was not enough to sway the jury. The Leighton Criminal Court Building found him not guilty on counts of driving while impaired, but was convicted on numerous counts of reckless homicide and aggravated DUI.
The convicted read a note at the courtroom saying, “I can’t really begin to explain how sorry I am for your loss. I was driving too fast that day. It was my stupidity that caused the accident, not the use of booze or drugs.”
While the convicted faced up to 28 years in prison, his sentence was only for 15 years. Of this, it is required that he serve at least 85 percent, or approximately 13 years.
Anybody involved in a car accident in which the negligent party was driving under the influence should immediately contact an experienced attorney to discuss his or her legal rights as a means of determining if filing a lawsuit to recover compensation is an option. A lawyer can answer any questions and help the injured move through the case from start to finish.
Source:
Chicago Tribune, “Man gets 15 years in DUI accident that killed mother, son” Steve Schmadeke, Jul. 08, 2013