On Jan. 17, a fatal accident occurred around 10 p.m. in Illinois that killed a 30-year-old man. The accident happened near Godfrey. Allegedly, a 22-year-old woman made a U-turn on I-255 and began driving the wrong way.
Traveling south in the northbound lane, the woman hit a Jeep Wrangler and a Pontiac Bonneville. The driver of the Pontiac was not wearing his seat belt and died at the scene. The other driver was taken to the hospital. The woman had critical injuries and had to be airlifted to a hospital in St. Louis.
On March 12, prosecutors got the toxicology report on the woman. It showed that at the time of the accident, the woman had benzodiazepines in her system. She was then charged with aggravated reckless driving, aggravated DUI causing death, reckless homicide and aggravated DUI. She was detained with a bail of $250,000.
When a person is facing charges for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the consequences could be serious even if there is not an accident in which someone is injured or killed. People in this situation might want to talk to an attorney about their defense. They could be facing a license suspension, fines or jail time among other penalties. An attorney might focus on the accuracy of any Breathalyzer or blood tests. Toxicology results could be contaminated at some point. An attorney might also look into whether a person’s rights were observed. Another option might be a plea bargain in which the defendant makes a deal with the prosecution and pleads guilty to lesser charges.
Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “Godfrey woman had drugs in system in fatal I-255 crash, charges say”, Kara Berg, March 12, 2018