An intersection near the Central District police station in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago was the scene of a collision between a civilian and a marked squad car belonging to the Chicago Police Department in the early hours of Friday morning.

At about 1:30 a.m. the police squad car was heading north on Clark Avenue. A white Lexus  attempting to make a left turn pulled out in front of the squad car, causing the police car to collide with the Lexus.

Junior Hernandez, 37, was cited for driving under the influence and failure to yield the right-of-way while making a left turn. No one was injured in the case although the police car’s front bumper and right headlight were hanging off of the car.

An injury caused by an accident does not always show symptoms right away. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in a car accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A resident from Pinckneyville, Illinois was killed this week in a chain-reaction crash that also injured nine other people. A man from Clarksville, Tennessee has been charged in regards to the accident that closed U.S. 51 for three hours.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., Sunday, April 1, 2012, Arlene Hackworth was a passenger on a motorcycle that was riding with a group of motorcyclists in the southbound-lanes of U.S. 51 near Tamora, Illinois.  Thomas Harris, 43, of Clarksville, Tennessee sideswiped a van as he was re-entering the northbound lanes. Harris’ truck then spun around and went into the southbound lane into the group of motorcycles.

The motorcycles took evasive action but three hit the pavement. The 56-year-old Hackworth suffered injuries that she died from at Marshall Browning Hospital in  Pinckneyville later that night. Nine other people were injured in the crash including child passengers in Harris’ truck. Harris failed a field sobriety test. He was charged with reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence as well as 14 other counts.

If you or a loved one has lost someone to a drunk driver, get professional legal help. Call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal rights. Visit the website at 815-929-9292.

A 30-year-old man from Onarga lost his life when his truck crashed into an SUV on Sunday, April 1, 2012 during mid-morning hours..

Around 10:40 a.m., Dustin Nichols was driving near the intersection of 1800 North and 500 East Roads in rural Gilman in his truck. Nichols was accompanied by his wife and child. Nichols drove through the stop sign at the intersection as Nancy Zachgo, 73, was approaching the intersection in her SUV. Zachgo was unable to stop in time and hit Nichols’ truck.

The Iroquois County Coronor’s office declared Nichols dead at the scene of the crash at 11:25 a.m. His wife and child were taken to Riverside Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Passengers in Zachgo’s SUV were treated at the scene or transported to area hospitals. There is no information at this time about Zachego’s condition or that of her passengers.

A two-car accident can change the lives of the passengers for a lifetime. If you or a loved one know someone who has been injured in a two-car accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The evening hours of Saturday, March 24, 2012 saw a hit-and-run accident lead to a second accident that took the lives of two children and injured their father. The hit-and-run driver has since been held in custody and charged with several felony and misdemeanor counts.

The driver of a SUV was heading south on Western Avenue in Chicago around 6:30 p.m. when the driver had a crash with a different car at 43^rd Street. The driver of the SUV left the scene of that accident, proceeding south at a high rate of speed.  At approximately 6:37 p.m. around the 4500 south block of Western, the SUV rear-ended a green Dodge Neon.

The Neon contained the Ochoa family who had left their home on 4200 South Artesian just minutes earlier. The father was seriously injured and remains in the hospital. A five-year-old boy and ten-month-old girl were killed in the accident. The driver of the SUV was also hospitalized. He has since been charged with four felony counts and three misdemeanors counts, including driving on a suspended license.

A hit-and-run accident can change the make-up of a family in an instant. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been in a car accident with a hit-and-run driver, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The driver of a 1996 Infiniti was heading the wrong way on Interstate 80 when he collided with another car, killing himself and three others in a fiery crash.

Berwyn resident Gustavo Vargus, 29, was driving the Infiniti on I-294  after visiting a strip club with his three other passengers. However, he became lost on the highway, making an illegal u-turn onto the westbound lanes of I-80 going east to get back to I-294 around Kenzie Avenue when he hit a Ford Escort being driven by Jason Wepsiec, 35, of Joliet.

State troopers came on the scene and were able to get one of the three passengers out of the Infiniti when the car went up in flames. They attempted to rescue the other passengers and driver of the Escort but the flames proved to be too much. Vargas and Wepsiec died along with passengers Armando Ruiz, 29, and Jorge Pina, 27. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the accident according to Master Sgt. Timothy Tyler.

A vehicular accident involving alcohol can change lives in an instant. Call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 if you or loved one has lost someone in a vehicular accident for professional legal representation. Visit our website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Alcohol may have been a factor in a crash that occurred in Lake County, Indiana that killed a woman from Crete, Illinois and injured a man from Indiana. Neither car held any passengers.

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, Annette Orellana was driving westbound in the vicinity of 98^th and Sheffield avenues outside of St.

John, Indiana about 2:42 a.m. when she was rear-ended by another vehicle. The 43-year-old Crete resident was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center and passed away on Sunday at approximately 12:41 a.m.

Anthony Vanderheyden, the driver of the other vehicle was airlifted to Loyola University Hospital with serious internal injuries. The 35-year-old Dyer, Indiana man was still there as of Monday morning. Lake County Sheriff’s department is investigating the accident and believes alcohol played a part in the crash. No charges have been filed at this time.

An automobile accident can change lives in an instant. If you or a loved one has lost someone due to a car accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for experienced representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A man has received 12 years in prison after being arrested for his sixth drunk driving crime.

According to Illinois police officials, The 55-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years in prison, three years supervised after release and another year of supervision for driving while he had a revoked license. This was the man’s sixth DUI offense and he currently has another case that is pending in another county at this time.

The prosecutors in his case originally asked for 10 years because he has never caused serious harm to another person, but officials stated that the way he was driving very well could have

caused serious injury to anyone on the roadway. Officials are also hoping that this case can help be an example of the serious impact drunk driving can have on your life.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident as a result of a drunk driver, you need experienced representation on your side. Contact the Kankakee drunk driving accident lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., by calling 815-929-9292.

A Frankfort man was arrested in Peotone on Saturday, October 8, 2011 after driving into the entrance of a bowling alley.
 
Jessie Brower, 30, was driving north on Second Street in Peotone around 2a.m. Saturday morning when he allegedly ran into a parked car. Brower then apparently swerved to his left, crossed the street and plowed into the entrance of Peotone Bowling Center. He left the scene before

the police arrived and was found driving on the wrong side of the road on Illinois Route 50.
 
Brower was apprehended as he was driving on Illinois Route 50. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
 
Drunk drivers don’t always cause damage to only property. Driving intoxicated can lead to physical injury and loss of life. If you or a loved one has had their life changed by a drunk driver, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A St. Anne man was killed on the evening of September 15th after being hit by a pickup truck  while on his lawn mower in rural Papineau.

Martinton resident Daniel J. Mitchell was going south on Iroquois County Road 2000E Road when he hit Dennis W. Busse, 60, as Busse was riding his lawn mower. Mitchell collided with the lawn mower in his 1996 GMC pickup truck less than one mile north of Iroquois County Road 3100N Road. Busse was pronounced dead at the scene. Mitchell was arrested by Iroquois County Police.

Mitchell was charged with aggravated DUI and driving on a revoked license. He was being held at the Iroquois County Jail in lieu of bond. 

When a loved one dies in an accident involving intoxication, it seems as if there are no right answers. If you or a loved one has lost a family member in an accident involving a driver charged with a DUI, call Spiros Law  at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The intersection of Sunnyside and Austin Avenues in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago was the scene of a two-car accident on August 9, 2011 that left a mother and her 16-year-old son dead as well as three other children injured.
 
Claudia Delia was headed west on Sunnyside Ave to meet with another family before going up to the Wisconsin Dells. The Honda Civic contained Delia and her son, Bryan; 3-year-old son Hauk Marvin; 15-year-old step-son, Zack Marvin; and Chris Diaz, a friend of the teenage boys. Chicago resident Richard Strum was headed south on Austin Avenue in his mustang and hit the Honda. The force of impact was so strong that the Honda was pushed against a nearby light pole.
 
Strum, 35, was charged with three counts of felony aggravated DUI for causing bodily harm in an accident and two counts of felony aggravated DUI in an accident causing death according to a statement released by the police. Strum had earlier been ticketed for driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without insurance.
 
Neighbors rushed to help the victims in the Honda. They stated that they have complained many times to the alderman and police in regards to the intersection as Sunnyside is not a straight cut across Austin. Instead, cars must make a jog to the left across Austin in order to continue on Sunnyside.
 
Some accidents take the lives of people because of drivers on the road under the influence of substances that impair their driving ability.  If you or a loved one has lost a family member in an auto accident cause by a driver charged with a DUI, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal rights.

Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.