Updates
April 21: The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the conviction and sentence of Aaron Martin, 30, for Aggravated DUI Causing Death. At issue in the appeal is what the state was required to prove in such cases where the defendant is found to have drugs in his urine after the crash. According to the Supreme Court, the presence of the drugs, plus a crash causing a fatality is sufficient evidence. The defendant was convicted by a Peoria County jury and sentenced to six years in the DOC. The crash occurred Christmas Day 2004 when the car the defendant was driving crossed into oncoming traffic, hitting and killing Jacqueline Harman, 75, and her daughter Rebecca Nighsonger, 50.
June 20: Barbara J. Grosskopf, 36, was sentenced by DuPage County Judge Blanche Hill Fawell for Class 2 felony Aggravated DUI to six weeks in the county jail, two years probation, and nearly $6,000 in fines and costs. The charges come from an August 2010 hit and run property damage crash. The defendant was located because the front bumper and license plate came off her vehicle and was left behind. This was the defendant’s third DUI. Her BAC was 0.215.
February 21: David Solis, 28, faces upgraded charges for an October 2009 crash in Kane County. The defendant was originally charged with DUI, DWLS and Leaving the Scene after crashing his car into the back of a box truck. He fled the scene, leaving his passenger, Elvis Hernandez, 28, with serious head injuries. Hernandez was never released from the hospital and died from his injuries in late February 2011.
June 2: The trial of Ryan Boyd, 23, charged in Schuyler County with Aggravated DUI Causing Death, among other charges, has been continued until October. State’s Attorney Teena Griffin was forced to ask for the continuance after a last minute disclosure by the defense of expert witnesses who would be called at the trial. 22 year-old Ryan Jones was killed in the October 2009 crash when the defendant, who was driving under the influence, lost control of his car turning it over into a ditch.
