Traffic Fatalities on the Rise in Illinois

 Posted on November 07, 2018 in Traffic Offenses

Traffic fatalities and collisions involving serious bodily injury are on the rise in Illinois and have been for the past few years, according to WTTW Public News. To be sure, 2016 was deadlier than 2015; 2017 was deadlier than 2016; and, it looks like 2018 will be deadlier than 2017, as preliminary data from the Illinois Department of Transportation shows with still over two months to go until the final numbers are in. What does this mean for drivers who have been cited with moving violations and those who have been charged with causing bodily injury or death? Because Illinois, like most states, is seeing a rise in traffic collisions, prosecutors are more likely to bring the heaviest penalties possible on those who have allegedly violated the law. Some of the most serious Illinois traffic violations include the following:

Reckless Homicide—Drivers who cause the death of another while driving in a reckless manner or in a way that is likely to cause bodily injury or death will be charged with reckless homicide. Depending on the circumstances of the collision, defendants charged with reckless homicide can be sentenced to a maximum of 28 years in prison.

Leaving the Scene of a Crash—Under Illinois 625 ILCS 5/11-401, it is a Class 4 felony (punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine of $25,000) to leave the scene of a crash that you are involved in if the other driver was injured or killed. If the driver was killed, the defendant will also likely be charged with reckless homicide.

DUI—Driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances is a serious crime. Depending on how many DUIs a driver has on their record, their level of intoxication, aggravating factors, and other characteristics of the incident, a DUI can be charged as a misdemeanor with up to a year in jail, or as a felony with many years in state prison.

Reckless Driving—Reckless driving, such as going 35 miles per hour over the speed limit or getting airborne, is usually charged as a Class A misdemeanor crime, which involves a potential jail sentence, serious fine, and revoked driver’s license. However, if serious bodily injury occurs or a child or crossing guard is injured, the offense is increased to aggravated reckless driving, a Class 4 felony. Careless driving causing serious bodily injury is also a serious traffic offense in Illinois, punishable as a misdemeanor.

Contact a Rolling Meadows Attorney To Keep Out of Jail

Many people charged with moving violations believe that they will be suffer nothing more than a slap on the wrist. If you do not work with an attorney, this could not be farther from the truth. You are likely facing serious fines, points on your driver’s license, and potentially jail or prison time. We urge you to call skilled Rolling Meadows criminal defense attorney Christopher M. Cosley at 847-253-3100 for legal representation today.

Sources:

https://news.wttw.com/24/traffic-fatalities-illinois-rise-2017

http://apps.dot.illinois.gov/fatalcrash/snapshot.html