Juvenile Driver Faces Criminal Charges After Deadly Crash

 Posted on December 22, 2012 in Juvenile Crimes

A 17-year-old teen faces criminal charges for his involvement in a single-vehicle crash that caused the death of a southwest suburban teen, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune. The juvenile driver has been charged with reckless homicide, aggravated reckless driving and reckless driving. If convicted, he could end up in a juvenile detention facility for anywhere from two to four years.

The juvenile driver said that he lost the control of his vehicle because he attempted to avoid hitting a deer in the road. However, two other teens said that the stretch of road where the accident took place is known by young people as a good place for racing. The juvenile was driving his pickup when he lost control, and the truck flipped and hit a tree, causing the driver and the victim to be thrown out of the truck. The victim, Jay Vana, was found beneath the vehicle by the emergency crew, and both teens were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where Vana was pronounced dead.

Vana, 16, was a student at Lockport Township High School. He was not wearing a seat belt when the crash happened. The driver was not drunk at the time of the accident, but he was driving above the speed limit of 35 mph, according to police.

If you or a loved one is a juvenile and faces criminal charges, you should get assistance from a capable lawyer who knows the ins and outs of the juvenile court procedures. It may be possible to get the charges dropped completely or significantly reduced. Get your child’s life back on track. Contact an experienced juvenile crime attorney in Illinois immediately.