An 18-year-old Barrington Hills man has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence of intoxicants after a March car crash left one man dead and a woman seriously injured. Bond was set at $100,000 plus the requirement of relinquishing his passport and submitting to random drug tests.
The charges stem from a March crash on Illinois Highway 59 in Barrington Hills where the defendant allegedly was driving under the influence of Lorazepam, a prescription sedative that is highly addictive and known to be abused as a recreational drug. The defendant was driving an SUV northbound when he sideswiped a southbound car and then crashed head-on into a vehicle driven by a 61-year-old man. The 61-year-old man died from his injuries and his 44-year-old fiancee, who was a passenger in his car, suffered severe leg injuries. The defendant sustained minor injuries and received treatment at Good Samaritan Hospital. While there, a blood test revealed Lorazepam in his system.
The defendant has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence involving death and aggravated driving under the influence involving great bodily harm. These are felony charges with incarceration in prison as a sentence if the defendant is convicted on all charges.
The defendant in this case reportedly did not have a prescription for Lorazepam but even if he did, he could be guilty of driving under the influence if the drug affected his ability to drive. Lorazepam is known to cause drowsiness and sleepiness and for this reason, the National Institutes of Health state that no one should take the medication and drive until they know how the medicine affects the individual. It is not clear whether the defendant had previously taken Lorazepam before the collision but police did find a bottle of the drug in the defendant’s car after the crash.
Car accidents are very common in Illinois. In fact, there were 281,788 automobile collisions in 2011 alone. Of those crashes, 835 proved fatal with 918 persons being killed. While the number of fatal crashes pales in comparison to the total number of accidents, there were still over 900 people killed in Illinois which is about 17 people every week.
When an innocent person loses their live to the negligence of another, there is nothing that can fully repair the damage and make the victim’s family whole again. The best that we can do is seek a financial recovery for the losses suffered by the victim’s family through a civil claim. This is allowed by the law to help cover some of the costs and losses experienced in accidents like this.
In a civil claim, and injured person or the surviving family of a deceased victim can bring a claim against a negligent driver for damages, including medical bills, pain and suffering, disfigurement, lost wages, and lost companionship. A personal injury attorney can help assist with this civil claim and seek the compensation that is deserved based on the accident and the resulting injuries.
If you have been hurt in an accident or if a loved one has been killed, call the Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free, no obligation telephone consultation. At Abels & Annes, P.C., you will speak with a licensed lawyer who is skilled in your type of case and who will answer your questions. We can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 so please do not hesitate to call us and let us fight for you.
Prior Blog Entries:
13 Injured After 3 Vehicles Collide, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 18, 2013.
Hit-And-Run Driver Arrested after Accident Injures Child, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 17, 2013.
Resources:
Barrington Hills man charged in fatal March crash, by George Houde, Chicago Tribune, published June 19, 2013.