Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A 23-year-old Skokie woman who stands accused of felony aggravated driving under the influence of drugs has reportedly refused a plea agreement that would have required her to serve five years in prison in connection with the accidental death of a nine-year-old child. According to Cook County prosecutors, the woman caused a chain reaction collision last May that claimed the life of a young boy. If convicted at trial, the woman reportedly faces between three and 14 years behind bars.
Accident investigators allege that the 23-year-old woman was turning her automobile onto Main Street from St. Louis Avenue in Skokie when she hit an eastbound vehicle. As a result of the initial crash, the woman’s vehicle reportedly began to spin and crossed the median. Her vehicle allegedly came to rest on a sidewalk where a nine-year-old boy was riding his bicycle. The force of the impact purportedly pushed the child across St. Louis Avenue and into a parked vehicle. Tragically, the second grader was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Cook County prosecutors allege that blood and urine samples taken from the 23-year-old showed she had both amphetamines and marijuana in her system at the time of the fatal collision. In addition, the woman was purportedly out on bond at the time of the accident. Earlier in 2012, she was charged with leaving the scene of another wreck. She is currently behind bars in lieu of a bond.
Increasingly, the Chicago Police Department has focused on arresting drivers who are suspected of driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs such as marijuana. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration data claims that 18 percent of drivers killed in auto accidents in 2009 had drugs in their system. In the State of Illinois, that number was reportedly 23 percent. Like other forms of DUI, drivers who operate a motor vehicle after taking illegal drugs may have slow reaction times, an inability to focus, blurred vision, and poor judgment. Regrettably, everyone traveling on Illinois roadways is placed at risk whenever a drugged driver makes the choice to get behind the wheel of a car.
As this horrific crash demonstrates, the victims of an accident with a drugged driver may experience life-threatening injuries or death. While an impaired driver may be held criminally responsible, he or she should also be held liable for any emotional and financial damages that resulted from a traffic wreck. If you were injured in a collision that was caused by a drugged driver, you may be entitled to receive financial compensation for your medical costs, lost wages and benefits, pain and suffering, any resulting disability, and other damages. Additionally, anyone who lost a child or other family member in an accident with an impaired motorist may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. A quality Chicago car accident attorney can assist you.
If you were hurt in a traffic accident that was caused by an impaired driver, give the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. a call at (312) 475-9596 today. Our experienced Chicago area car accident attorneys are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to answer your questions and help you file your personal injury or wrongful death case. Our hardworking lawyers have years of experience advocating on behalf of clients who were hurt by a drunken or drugged motorist. To speak with a committed personal injury attorney today, please feel free to contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through our website.
More Blogs:
Driver and Passenger Hurt After CTA Bus Hits at Least 20 Parked Cars on Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, January 9, 2013
Pedestrian Killed in Crosswalk in Chicago’s South Deering Neighborhood, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, January 7, 2012
Additional Resources:
Skokie woman again declines plea bargain in crash that killed boy, 9, by Brian L. Cox, Chicago Tribune