Pedestrian Killed in DUI Crash

 Posted on March 09, 2013 in Personal Injury

One man was killed and two other people were injured after being struck by a drunk driver on the Northwest side of Chicago in mid-February, according to the chtribune. Leroy Bobo, the man responsible for the crash, was "driving while intoxicated on a suspended license when he struck a group of pedestrians," according to the Tribune. His blood-alcohol content was.20, more twice the legal limit. Prosecutors announced that Bobo was facing "multiple counts of aggravated DUI, failure to report a fatal accident, and driving on a suspended or revoked license." Bobo's PT Cruiser first struck a parked car, according to the Tribune, before veering into the victims who were standing on the street corner waiting to cross. "Mario Ortega… suffered severe blunt force trauma to his head and was pronounced dead at Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center a short time later." Another 32-year-old woman was treated for bleeding to the brain, and the third victim suffered a fractured hip. The accident occurred at 12:45a.m. After hitting the pedestrians, Bobo did not stop his car. He "continued north on Central for more than a mile before slamming into a car that was waiting at a red light." He couldn't continue on, but officers on "routine patrol found Bobo behind the wheel of his disabled Chrysler continuing to press the accelerator in an attempt to leave that scene as well," according to the Tribune. According to eHow, an aggravated DUI charge in Illinois faces penalties of at least 10 days and up to 12 years in jail, "in addition to a mandatory 480 hours spent volunteering in a community service program." But if there was a death in the crash, as with the Bobo accident, penalties can include jail time of up to 14 years in prison. "Both homicide and serious bodily injury charges in the state of Illinois are considered Class 2 felonies if the driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash." If you or someone you know is facing accident charges, don't go through it alone. Contact a dedicated Chicago-area accident attorney today.