Chicago Nurse Killed in Drunk Driving Accident

 Posted on July 24, 2012 in Personal Injury

Heidi Roseen, a 51-year-old nurse from Lockport, was killed in mid-July after sustaining injuries in a crash while driving to work, according to the chtribune. Roseen was a nurse on her way to work when she was struck by a pickup truck that ran a red light. Police have not yet released the name of the 25-year-old Orland Park man who caused the crash, but, according to the Tribune, the man admitted "to drinking since 5 p.m." the day before the crash occurred. He is expected to be charged in connection with the crash. Roseen, according to Cook County Sheriff spokesman Frank Bilecki, was "going to work at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn when the crash happened." In preliminary accident reconstruction, Cook County police estimate that the pickup was going "at least 60 mph when it hit the SUV." Even though the young man admitted to having been drunk when the accident occurred, information "from a blood sample from the man were pending toxicological results." Depending on how high his Blood Alcohol Content was at the time of the crash could determine the severity of his charges. Illinois has a zero-tolerance DUI policy, which makes the state one of the strictest in the country when it comes to drinking and driving. For a first DUI conviction, it's an automatic 1-year driver's license suspension, 100 hours of community service, and a maximum 12-month jail sentence and $2,500 in fines. If there are, of course, any fatalities involved in the crash, these charges are weightier and can result in life prison terms for involuntary manslaughter and the like. If you or someone you know needs legal counsel for an accident—whether you were driving under the influence or not—don't go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Chicago-area injury attorney today.