Aggressive Driving

Reckless Driver Charged for Chicago 5-Car Crash and Pedestrian Fatality

Published on: April 24, 2015 | Levin & Perconti

When people choose to drive recklessly or act with road rage, they need to realize that their actions have real consequences. When they act in this way, their actions are not just isolated projections of what they are feeling, but negatively impact other people when they make the roads an extremely dangerous place to be as a driver or passenger. Simply because a driver may have issues in their own lives, does not mean the driver should release this anger through reckless driving, nor should others on the road become such a frustration that feelings are taken out on others on the road. If this is the case, an individual should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle. People should only drive when they are calm and collected and can devote their attention to the road and acting safely.

According to an article by CBS Chicago, a woman has been charged with murder after a drunken fight with her husband, followed by a five-car crash that killed a pedestrian on the south side of Chicago. She got into a fight with her husband in the early morning on the 5500 block of South State Street, according to police. Her husband took off from the argument, and she followed him in another vehicle, intentionally crashing into it. This caused her husband’s vehicle to strike at least three other vehicles, ricochet off of a light pole, and then strike a pedestrian who was standing on the sidewalk. The pedestrian was taken to a local hospital and later died as a result of injuries from the collision. The woman was then arrested and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated DUI, and reckless homicide as a result of the pedestrian accident.
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Latest Statistics Show Increase in Teen Traffic Accident Fatalities

Published on: March 2, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

You may look back on your high school days and think you were the coolest person in school. All the girls or guys liked you, and you just floated on air from class to class. To most the teenage years are about having fun, but unfortunately poor decisions and distractions can lead to significant personal injuries (link to homepage) when teens get behind the wheel.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, traffic fatalities among teen drivers rose a staggering 19 percent in the first half of last year. That 19 percent is more than double the total increase in other traffic deaths for the same period. In addition to the roughly 3,000 deaths, almost 300,000 teens a year are treated and released from emergency rooms all over the country for injuries suffered while in a car accident. (USA Today)

Some of the most common causes of teenage car accidents can be easily avoided:

Teenager Killed After Crashing Truck In Street Racing Accident

Published on: December 29, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

Kmov.com recently released a report detailing the death of a teenager on Sunday morning after what authorities say was a street racing accident. Our Illinois car accident lawyers learned that the 15-year old was traveling east on Illinois Route 16 approaching St. Mary’s Road in rural Jersey County, Illinois at excessive speeds when his truck reportedly drove off the road, struck a large drainage pipe and rolled over multiple times. It then struck a utility pole and finally came to a stop on its roof.

Authorities state the driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The truck’s passenger, a 52-year old male, remained uninjured. The report states the driver and passenger were both wearing their seatbelts at the time of the accident.

In recent years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that street racing has become a factor in approximately 130 fatal crashes each year. In 2011, over 300 street racing accidents took place, with many citations, injuries, and fatalities as a result.

Teen Charged with Reckless Homicide in Car Accident that Kills Friend

Published on: December 6, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

Teenage drivers are statistically the most dangerous people on the road. In 2010, seven teenage drivers died each day from injuries sustained in car accidents. If you are a parent, and you are wondering why your insurance just shot up, odds are it might be because your child just turned 16. Per mile driven, teen drivers are three times more likely to get into an accident than their counterparts over the age of 20. (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety)

Earlier this week, an Illinois court convened to hear the trial of an Aurora teen charged with reckless homicide in a deadly October car accident. According to court reports, the teen was joyriding in his father’s Chevrolet Malibu, without permission, at more than 90 miles an hour when he lost control and slammed into a home.

According to reports from the Chicago Tribune, the defendant, who was only 15-years-old at the time of the accident, was allegedly attempting to reach 100 miles an hour on the wet pavement of a local Aurora subdivision when he came to a curve in the road. Unable to turn, the Malibu hit the curb, and left the ground briefly before slamming into a local family’s garage. Of the three passengers in the car, two were injured, while the third was thrown from the vehicle, and later pronounced dead at the scene.

Two Dead After Driver of Stolen Car Causes Four Vehicle Accident

Published on: December 4, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

Reckless driving is one of the most common factors in the more than 6 million, and it claims thousands of lives every year, and injures millions more. Earlier this week, the head-on collision of two cars in a suburban neighborhood killed both drivers, and injured two others.

Kane County Police reports indicate that shortly before the fatal accident, the driver of the stolen Nissan Altima had also been involved in a minor hit-and run before her erratic behavior caught the attention of a local Sheriff’s deputy. Upon attempting to pull the woman over, she fled at high speeds, with local bystanders reporting speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, at which time the deputy ended his pursuit.

Not long after, while still travelling at speeds well in excess of the posted speed limit, the stolen Nissan hit a Maple Park teen’s Pontiac Grand Am head-on. Before the wreckage had settled, two other cars had been caught in the wreck. The Woman driving the Nissan was declared dead at the scene shortly after authorities arrived.

3 Injured, 1 Dead in Car Accident on Expressway

Published on: November 21, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

Highways have become the main veins of our country and it’s states. They get us where we need to go, and with Thanksgiving in full swing, more people are on the roads now than any other time in the year. At increased speeds, there is little room for error, and this is the reason why some of the worst car accidents occur on the freeways. Earlier this week an accident on the Dan Ryan Expressway left one man dead and three other people injured.

Illinois State Police reported that around 4 a.m., a Chrysler Pacifica was stopped in traffic on 1-94 when it was rear-ended by a minivan traveling northbound. Of the three passengers riding in the minivan, two were taken to local area hospitals in serious to critical condition, one of which was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. The driver of the Chrysler was also taken to the hospital, but their injuries were non-life threatening. (Chicago Tribune)

This accident is likely just one of many that will occur this week, and whether it is a holiday week or not traffic accidents are the number one killer of people under 30 in the United States. Last year 33,000 people were killed in traffic accidents, and hundreds of thousands more were injured. (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration)

Chicago Police Officer Hospitalized By Reckless Driver

Published on: November 15, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

We’ve all been there. You’re driving along, minding your own business when BAM! a reckless driver speeds past you. Whether a driver is weaving through cars on the freeway, running red lights, or speeding, these reckless actions aren’t just annoying, they can be extremely dangerous.

The driver of the black Kia that struck a Chicago Police cruiser in Fuller Park last weekend has been ticketed on charges of disregarding a red light, negligent driving, and driving while uninsured.

A nearby witness told authorities that he remembered seeing the black sedan speed through a red light on 47th Street near Dan Ryan just minutes before it crashed into the front driver side of a northbound police car. In addition to the driver, the Kia was carrying five women, one of which was taken to an area hospital. According to police, two of the women were taken into custody after being overly hostile. One of the two officers in the vehicle was taken to the hospital, while the other was treated and released shortly after the incident. (Chicago Tribune)

Bridge Construction Could Mean More Congestion for Chicago Drivers

Published on: November 1, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

For many people working in the City of Chicago, the most stressful and hectic portion of their day is not between the hours of 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Instead, many metro-Chicago residents get their daily dose of stress navigating the hectic commute to and from work every day. Unfortunately for some, that manic Monday commute just got a little more chaotic.

Earlier this week Chicago officials announced that the Wells Street Bridge will be closed to motorists and pedestrians beginning Monday morning in order to begin a twelve-month reconstruction project.

The Chicago Department of Transportation said that the bridge, which opened in 1922, is in need of complete rehabilitation. While officials say they aim to preserve its original appearance, the bridges railings, bridge houses, steel framing, and electrical components will all be replaced. (Chicago Tribune)

Reckless Driving Accident Results in Death of Aurora Teen

Published on: October 25, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

For an Aurora mother, Tuesday began and ended like any other day. As she put her children to bed, the 2700 block of Hamman Way was quite. However, just before 2a.m. that all changed.

At 1:45a.m. the family awoke to what sounded like an explosion. Aurora Police Officers arrived minutes later, only to find that a Chevrolet Malibu had ripped through the garage of the home, with one of its passengers lying on the pavement near the rubble.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Aurora car accident happened after four teenage boys were speeding through the neighborhood and lost control of their vehicle. Attempting to regain control the car skidded, jumping the curb and slamming into the brick wall. The driver, as well as two of the passengers received only minor injuries. However, the passenger who had been thrown from the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.

Toll Road Worker Killed in Accident Near Chicago

Published on: October 3, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

For most Midwesterners, we spend all summer and most of fall passing road signs that warn against excessive speed and ask us to use caution around construction and maintenance.

Yet still, despite these warnings, the men and women who spend their workweek maintaining the roads and highways that we rely on are faced with the reality that they are never completely safe doing their job.

Yesterday morning, a crash on Interstate-90 claimed the lives of two people, one of them a toll road worker.