An Illinois man from Park Ridge was sentenced to 10 days in jail and four years of probation for a 2013 drunk driving accident in which a cyclist was killed. The man received his sentence after he pleaded guilty to aggravated drunk driving and reckless homicide on Jan. 27.
According to law enforcement officers, the 32-year-old man was driving at twice the posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour at the time of the accident, and he had a blood alcohol of 0.15 percent. He reportedly hit the 26-year-old cyclist in the 1300 block of North Clybourn.
The prosecutors had asked the court to sentence the man to a sentence ranging from three to 14 years. The accident happened when the cyclist ran a red light as the 32-year-old man was speeding through the intersection. The man expressed remorse at his sentencing, and the judge stated that he did not believe that the man was a danger to society and handed down the much lighter sentence. In addition to the short jail sentence and the probation, the man was also ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution for the cyclist’s funeral expenses.
When a person is charged with “drunk driving involving an accident in which a person was seriously injured or killed, the court will normally impose a much lengthier period of incarceration than what was given in this case. Criminal defense lawyers may work to fight the charges by challenging some pieces of evidence. They may also gather mitigating evidence that supports their requests for lighter sentences or reduced charges during plea negotiations with the prosecutor.
Source: Park Ridge Patch, “10 days in jail for DUI homicide that killed bicyclist on north side,” Jonah Meadows, Jan. 27, 2017.