Illinois Injury Attorney Blog

Emily W. Myers, 21, and Alex E. Myers, 23, both from Arcola, Illinois, were injured when a truck ran the Ford Taurus being operated by Emily Myers off of Interstate 74 near Mansfield, Illinois, on Thursday night.

Both Emily and Alex had to be extracted by emergency personnel after their car hit a ditch embankment, flipping over twice, skidding across the eastbound interstate lanes and coming to rest in the eastbound lanes facing west. By the time the vehicle stopped, the driver's door was pinned against the guard rail. The Pair were both wearing seat-belts, and were taken to Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana, Illinois, where they were treated and released.

According to the accident report, Illinois State Police (out of Pesotum), found that Emily Myers was driving in the right westbound lane, before she attempted to pass a semi-tractor trailer that was driving next to her on Interstate 74 at about 8:45 p.m. Thursday evening. As Myers attempted to pass the semi-truck, reportedly operated by Mark E. King, 44, of Rockford, Illinois, King moved into the left lane and caused Myers' car move off the Interstate to avoid impact.

King was ticketed for improper lane usage, state police reported.

Continue reading "ARCOLA RESIDENTS INJURED AFTER THEIR CAR IS FORCED OFF THE ROAD BY A TRUCK ON INTERSTATE 74" »

At around 7 p.m. Thursday evening, two Jeffersonville, Indiana police officers responded to reports of a domestic dispute at a Jeffersonville Motel 6 on Eastern Boulevard. When the officers arrived, guests reported that a man pulled a gun and shot the two officers. Jefferson police department reported that both officers, 39 year-old Dan Lawhorn and 32 year-old Keith Broady, were transported to University Hospital in stable condition.

SWAT officers and members of the Jeffersonville Police Department surrounded the motel searching for the suspect.

Continue reading "TWO JEFFERSONVILLE INDIANA POLICEMEN SHOT WHILE INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE AT NEARBY MOTEL 6" »

The Champaign County Coroner's office has confirmed that Richard Shatto, 38, of Hoopeston, was the decedent driver in a one-car accident at 12:11 a.m. Sunday on Illinois Route 9 west of Rankin in Vermilion County. Shatto was pronounced dead just after 1:30 a.m. Sunday at Carle Foundation Hospital, after the 1997 Chevy Lumina he was driving westbound left the roadway, striking a guard rail and ejecting him while overturning in a field.

Continue reading "VERMILLION COUNTY MAN DIES IN A ONE-CAR ACCIDENT ON ROUTE 9 WEST OF RANKIN ILLINOIS" »

A Champaign County Coroner's jury ruled the death of Robert L. Winsor, 50, of Champaign, Illinois, was suicide despite the fact that police never found a gun. Winsor, whose body was found on a picnic table at Kaufman Lake in Champaign on Dec. 13, 2008, had a gunshot would to his head; however, Champaign Police Detective, Joe Johnston, reported that the gun used to kill Winsor was never recovered.

Following 20 minutes of deliberation, coroner's jury in Champaign County ruled that the cause of death of an Urbana woman, April R. Rahming, 23, was undetermined.

Ms. Rahming died on Oct. 25 after she fell out of the passenger's side of a truck driven by her then live-in boyfriend, Charles Laroe, 25, of Urbana, on the 1800 block of Willow View Road, Urbana. According to testimony, Laroe told Champaign County Sheriff's Investigators that the passenger door of his truck didn't shut properly and that he felt a bump in the road after Ms. Rahming was run over by one of the truck's rear tires.

When Laroe jumped out of the truck to attend to Ms. Rahming, he reportedly failed to put the truck into park, and it rolled another 50 to 60 feet into a ditch. Police investigators then reported that Laroe placed Ms. Rahming back in his truck and took her to the home of her parents. Laroe told police that he took her there because it was closer than the hospital and because her stepfather knew CPR. Ms. Rahming died at her parent's home.

According to Deputy Coroner Steven Skinner, autopsy findings showed Ms. Rahming suffered multiple skull fractures, swelling of her brain, multiple lacerations, rib dislocations and loss of blood.

State Police in Central Illinois responded to over 50 accidents on Illinois Interstates. Dangerous winter weather conditions were being blamed for the accidents that seemingly began around 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

A school bus from the Buckley, Loda, Paxton, Iroquis County School District ended up in a ditch, causing injury to the driver and at least one child. Police also reported a fatal accident on eastbound Interstate 74 near Tilton. According to reports, a 42 year old female lost control of her Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck and rolled over several times before coming to rest on its roof in the westbound lanes. The reports also identified at least two children in the vehicle, both of whom are believe to have survived. The children were transported to Provena United Samitaritan Hospital for medical treatment.

Continue reading "MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENTS OCCUR ON ICY ROADS IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS" »

Harvey Welch, an attorney from Urbana, entered his appearance in Champaign County Circuit Court on behalf of Elizabeth Drewes, 53, of the 1000 block of Churchhill Downs Drive. Drewes remains in the Champaign County jail on a $5-million bond for aggravated DUI and reckless homicide charges stemming from a three vehicle collision on I-74 in December, 2008. Twenty-four-year-old, Brittany Babb was killed in the December crash and three others were injured. Welch is also representing Drewes in another DUI case involving a single car crash in September, 2008. In that case, Drewes was arrested after allegedly crashing her Cadillac Escalade on I-57 near Thomasboro. Reports from that arrest indicate that her blood-alcohol content was 0.31 percent during that incident. Judge Rich Klaus set Drewes' next court date on the more recent charges for February 25, 2009, before Judge Chase Leonhard.

Attorney Welch entered a plea of not guilty and requested a jury trial on behalf of Elizabeth Drewes. Attorney Welch himself made news last August when he was sued by a former client, Patrick Thompson, in Small Claims Court for an alleged legal malpractice claim. According to Court files, Welch was ordered to pay $3,000 back to Thompson, as well as cover the cost of court fees.

Thompson filed the small claims suit pro se (meaning he represented himself) alleging that Welch had committed legal malpractice during his criminal trial. Thompson argued that he had hired Welch to defend himself against charges of sexual abuse and home invasion in a criminal trial that took place in 2006. After Welch called only one witness, Thompson was found guilty. Dropping Welch, Thompson hired two new attorneys, Bob Kirchner and Ruth Wyman, who filed a post-trial motion to reverse the guilty verdict. In a rare courtroom decision, Judge Harry Clem found that Welch had provided “ineffective assistance of counsel” and granted Thompson a new criminal trial. This last May, with the help of new legal counsel (Kirchner and Wyman), a jury found Thompson not guilty of the criminal charges.

Records indicate that Harvey Welch works as a Public Defender in Ford County, but has an office at 401 W. Elm in Urbana, Illinois 61801-3231. According to the Illinois ARDC website, Welch has been in practice since October, 1980.

Continue reading "CHAMPAIGN WOMAN ACCUSED OF DRUNK DRIVING IN FATAL INTERSTATE 74 CAR ACCIDENT HIRES URBANA ATTORNEY" »

Police identified a Bloomington woman killed when her SUV rolled over on Interstate 74 near Tilton, Illinois on Tuesday morning as Angel McDonald. McDonald had recently moved to Bloomingtion from Bradington, Florida. According to reports, McDonald had four-year-old twins who were in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
State Police and the Vermillion County Coroner's office speculated that the childrens' safety seats were a contributing factor in their survival, as the children were securely fastened. Preliminary investigations led State Police to believe that McDonald's vehicle rolled over several times before coming to rest. Portions of the Interstate were shut down while emergency personnel attended the scene.

Continue reading "POLICE RELEASE THE NAME OF THE BLOOMINGTION MOTHER OF TWINS KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT - SUV ROLLOVER ON I-74 TUESDAY MORNING" »

Police say an early morning accident sent a 23-year old Cherry Valley woman, Regina Shawgo, to the hospital. Shawgo was driving East on Route 9 just after 2:00 a.m. when her vehicle was allegedly struck from behind by a car driven by 19-year-old Justin Donaho.

According to police reports, both cars lost control and Shawgo's vehicle overturned in a ditch. Shawgo was transported by life flight to O-S-F St. Francis Medical Center. Police believe alcohol was a factor and cited Donaho with driving under the influence. Donaho was treated at Graham Hospital in Canton, Illinois and released.

Continue reading "ALCOHOL INVOLVED IN EARLY MORNING CRASH THAT SENDS CANTON ILLINOIS FEMALE TO HOSPITAL" »

The Peoria County coroner is investigating the death of a Kewanne man involved in a single car accident in Stark County. 46 year-old Albert Bonner was sent to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center after sustaining head injuries during the accident. Bonner was pronounced dead by hospital staff on December 31st. The Coroner continues to investigate the cause; however, reports indicate that Bonner was not wearing his seat belt.

Continue reading "KEWANEE MAN KILLED IN SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT IN STARK COUNTY ILLINOIS" »

29-year-old, Kara Holt, of Gibson City, Ford County, was killed in a car accident at the corner of Prospect Avenue and Healey Street in Champaign when a 23-year-old suspect, Marc Featherstone, allegedly failed to stop his 1998 Toyota at a stop sign on Healey Street. Featherstone was charged with aggravated DUI and failure to yield, according to Lieutenant Michael Paulus of the Champaign Police Department.

Continue reading "CAR ACCIDENT IN CHAMPAIGN ILLINOIS CLAIMS THE LIFE OF A 29 YEAR OLD FEMALE" »

A bicyclist was injured when a car with ice and snow on the windshield struck him from behind early Sunday, December 21, 2008. Jonathon McGrew of the 600 block of West Church Street, Champaign, was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital following the accident at 3:50 a.m. Sunday, according to a Champaign police report.

According to the police report, McGrew was wearing a reflective vest and riding his bike north on Prospect Avenue near Harvard Street. A vehicle being driven by Anthony Antrim, 200 block of West Green Street, Champaign County, collided with McGrew while also headed north on Prospect.

Continue reading "CAR STRIKES BICYCLIST IN CHAMPAIGN COUNTY ILLINOIS CAUSING INJURY" »

Illinois Motor Vehicle Accident and Drunk Driving Statistics

Illinois Fatal Crash Data for 2008:

The fatality data provided below is provisional and is based on information submitted to IDOT for fatal crashes occurring on all roadways within the state. The data is updated as information is received from various agencies throughout the state.

Fatal Crashes 930
Fatalities 1017
Fatalities Last Year to Date 1238
Change - 221

*Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes and Fatalities: Reported information showed some indication of alcohol use in relation to the crash. The data may change as alcohol test results are received.
Alcohol-Related Fatal Crashes 276
Alcohol-Related Fatalities 304

Continue reading "ILLINOIS STATISTICS RELATED TO FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE AND ALCOHOL RELATED AUTO ACCIDENTS" »