Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A 27-year-old Chicago man has been charged in an accident that left a 2-year-old girl dead on Friday night, according to local authorities.
The man was reportedly driving near the 5700 block of South Morgan Street on the city’s south side just before 6:30 a.m. The driver allegedly ran a stop sign and struck a 2-year-old girl who was walking in the area with her great-grandmother, on the way to daycare for the day. After hitting the child, the driver continued down the road and ran through several construction markers before striking a parked car and coming to a stop.
The damage to the man’s vehicle left it inoperable so police say the man fled on foot. The man did not make it very far before he was apprehended in connection with the collision and taken into custody where he has been charged with reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence causing death, and driving without a license or insurance, all of which are aggravated by the incident involving a construction scene. Police stated that the man’s blood alcohol content was 0.252 at the time of the crash which is more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 in Illinois.
The 2-year-old victim was transported by ambulance to Comer Children’s Hospital but her injuries were too severe and she was pronounced dead as a result of the crash.
If the facts alleged are proved to be true, this truly tragic crash need not have ever happened. A driver who chooses to operate a car while under the influence of alcohol breaks the laws of Illinois and also places the safety of those in the area at risk. Studies have routinely shown that a drunk driver is less careful, slower to react, and more likely to cause a collision than a sober driver, meaning that other motorists, pedestrians, a bicyclists may all be in danger of being the victim of a drunk driver’s negligence.
Children can be victims of drunk driving accidents and unfortunately multiple children in Illinois die every year as a result of these crashes. In some cases, a child victim is inside the same car as a drunk driver. In other accidents, the child is in a separate vehicle that is hit by a drunk driver. And still in other situations, like the one on Friday, a child is walking or riding a bicycle when she becomes an accident vehicle.
Drunk drivers face criminal penalties for their actions but they may also face civil penalties by the way of a claim brought on behalf of accident victims. In the case of a child who is hurt by a driver, a parent or guardian may be able to make a claim on the child’s behalf against the responsible driver for monetary damages for the benefit of the child. This claim make seek compensation for medical bills that were incurred or pain and suffering experienced by the child as well as other damages that might arise.
Each accident is different and the facts of each case are unique so if your child has been involved in an accident, call the Chicago children’s injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free consultation. We have a lawyer standing by 24 hours a day to take your call at (312) 924-7575 and there is never an obligation on your part for taking advantage of the free consultation. Call us today and let us help your family towards the path of recovery after an accident has left your child injured.
Prior Blog Entries:
Bartlett Man Killed In Motorcycle Accident, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published September 20, 2013.
School Bus Driver Arrested in West Chicago Suspected of Driving Drunk, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published September 17, 2013.
Resources:
Prosecutors: Driver in drunk driving wreck that killed toddler was 3 times legal limit, by Deanese Williams-Harris and Geoff Ziezulewicz, Chicago Tribune, published September 22, 2013.