A 59-year-old lady is alleged to have made a very bad series of decisions while driving through the far west suburbs of Chicago. When Elburn, Illinois police officers attempted to stop her vehicle early Sunday morning for an undisclosed violation, it is alleged that she refused to stop, and sped away. The Elburn police called it in on their radios to the Kane County Sheriff’s office. Soon thereafter, a Sheriff’s Deputy in one car, and a St. Charles police officer in another car, located the woman driving her Dodge Avenger, east bound on Illinois Route 38. With the Sheriff’s deputy behind her, and the St. Charles officer in front, she allegedly drove at speeds of up to 90 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone.
At a certain point, the officers attempted to stop her vehicle, and rather than slowing down and stopping, it is alleged that her vehicle struck the back of the St. Charles police vehicle. Both the woman and the officer received non-life threatening injuries, and were transported to a local hospital for treatment of their wounds. As a result of this incident, the woman is currently charged with Aggravated Speeding (90 in a 50 zone is a Class A Misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, and a fine of up to $2,500.00, or both), as well as failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and failure to yield or move for an emergency vehicle (commonly referred to as “Scott’s Law”). The Kane County State’s Attorney’s office has indicated that more charges may be forthcoming once their investigation is complete. Among the possible charges the State may file, based upon these alleged facts, are Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Police officer, which is a felony offense punishable by a potential prison sentence. If the hospital ran blood and/or urine tests as part of her treatment, and if those tests disclose the presence of illicit controlled substances, or an amount of cannabis or alcohol above the legal limits, she can also expect to be charged with driving under the influence as well. All of these consequences may have been avoided if she had simply curbed her vehicle in Elburn. Regardless of whatever was going on and why she chose to run, the consequences could not have been as severe as they are now, in light of her poor choices.
Fleeing and Eluding police is a serious offense, whether a misdemeanor, or a felony. The consequences of a conviction not only affect one’s freedom and good name, but they can result in the mandatory revocation of driving privileges for a felony conviction, or a discretionary suspension for a misdemeanor conviction. If you, or someone you know, has been arrested for any offense, whether traffic or criminal, felony or misdemeanor, then you need to hire skillful Chicago criminal defense lawyers at Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC. We have the knowledge, experience, and skills to protect your rights and defend your interests, freedom, name, and driving privileges. Call us today at (312) 644-0444 and schedule an appointment to consult with us at either our Chicago or Arlington Heights locations. The initial consultation is absolutely free, with no obligation, and everything discussed is 100 percent confidential. Call today.