Retired man killed in accident in Illinois

Retired man killed in accident in Illinois

A 66-year old from Wood River was killed in a car accident on Sept. 15 in Alton while riding on a Harley Davidson motorcycle with his wife on Landmark Boulevard, near the Clark Bridge. The wife of the decedent was critically injured by the collision.

At around 6:30 p.m., the motorcycle was struck by a 25-year old driving a Nissan Sentra. The driver hit the motorcycle when he was turning left to go onto the Clark Bridge. After hitting the couple, the driver fled the scene by running down a hill. Two witnesses followed the suspect, and a third man in the parking lot of Riverbend Billards & Grill caught him; the three good Samaritans detained the suspect until police arrived.

Police say that just before the crash, the suspect had jumped out of his car at a traffic signal to yell at the driver behind him for honking his horn when the suspect failed to go after the light turned green. The suspect is now facing several charges, including aggravated DUI causing death. The man is being held on $125,000 bail.

In addition to criminal charges, the man responsible for the accident may also be sued in civil court for personal injuries and wrongful death. The decedent’s wife or other surviving immediate family members could seek damages from the driver for injuries sustained in the accident.

In addition to medical expenses, a lawyer could also seek compensation for emotional damages such as loss of companionship in connection with the death of the 66-year old. Lawyers may also ask a jury to grant punitive damages to punish a wrongdoer. The defendant’s road rage and a DUI charge may be used to show a greater level of culpability.

Source: FOX 2 Now, “Road rage incident ends in fatal motorcycle crash“, Shirley Washington, September 16, 2013