Fatal Kane County Two-Car Collision

There was a double-fatal Elgin traffic accident early Wednesday (March 20, 2019) morning. One driver faces numerous charges, including those related to drunk driving. Another factor in the crash was alleged driving at excessive speed.

This fatal Elgin traffic accident is discussed on a variety of media sources, including the March 25, 2019 Kane County Connects post titled “Update: Reckless Homicide, Aggravated DUI Charges Filed in Crash That Killed 2 Elgin Residents.”

An excerpt from that post, mentioning the drivers of the two cars involved in the crash,
Omar Pizano Zavala, 30, of Elgin and Adrian Velasco, 21, of Glendale Heights:

According to reports, a 2018 Nissan Altima driven by Zavala was waiting to exit a business located at Summit and Dundee, when a 2012 Honda sedan driven by Velasco and traveling west on Summit Street left the roadway and “forcefully struck the Nissan.”

Kane County prosecutors and Elgin police said a passenger was riding in the front seat of Velasco’s Honda and that Velasco was driving west on Summit Street at a speed of about 75 mph in a posted 30 mph zone at the time of the crash.

Zavala, who was a passenger in the vehicle that was struck, was pronounced dead at the scene. Villagomez, who was driving, was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead a few hours later.

The passenger in Velasco’s vehicle sustained serious injuries.

Velasco faces numerous charges, as discussed in the post, including four counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence Resulting in Death and two counts of Reckless Homicide.

This Elgin traffic accident remains under investigation. Those with information concerning the crash are asked to contact the Elgin Police Department Traffic Unit at 847-289-2667.

Additional Details Regarding This Fatal Elgin Traffic Accident

Additional details regarding this fatal Elgin traffic accident can be seen in a variety of sources, including the Kane County post mentioned above.

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If you were injured in an accident – or represent someone who died in an accident – call Tony Elman, Lead Trial Attorney of the Elman Law Group, at (773) 392-8182 to discuss the accident and see what legal actions may be taken.  This legal consultation is free and is confidential in nature.

Elman Law Group, LLC has been handling Illinois personal injury cases for 25+ years, and during this time has handled over 10,000 personal injury cases.  Through this extensive experience we have built a reputation for our court trial performance.  As seen in many cases, this successful trial experience may (substantially) increase your potential accident injury compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles cases on a contingency basis…you will not be charged legal fees unless and until there is a monetary recovery.

Kane County DUI Crash

Drunk driver crashes continue to be a traffic safety issue.  Often, the impairment of the drunk driver leads to a loss of vehicle control, which in turn leads to a crash.  This loss of control is more likely to happen if the vehicle is traveling at excessive speed.

In the October 6, 2017 post (“Fatal Car Crash On Burr Road Near St. Charles, Illinois“) a fatal car crash was discussed.  Recently, additional information concerning this crash has been made public, and the crash allegedly involved a drunk driver.

The accident and subsequent charges is discussed in the Kane County Connects article of December 11, 2018 titled “Geneva Man Pleads Guilty in 2017 DUI Crash That Killed Nicholas Hanson.”  Two excerpts:

Twenty-year-old Raphael P. Peruzza pleaded guilty on Dec. 6 to the offense of aggravated DUI causing death, Class 2 felony.

also:

Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Lori Anderson stated in court that at about 2:20 a.m. Oct. 6, 2017, Peruzza was driving a black Jeep southbound on Burr Road in unincorporated St. Charles Township. Nicholas Hanson was riding in the front passenger seat.

The jeep was traveling at a high rate of speed when it left the roadway, went airborne and crashed into a group of trees. Peruzza got out of the car, as the car began to burn, leaving Hanson behind.

The investigation revealed that Peruzza’s blood-alcohol concentration was more than 0.08 percent. Peruzza admitted to police that he had been drinking alcohol just before driving.

Additional Details Regarding This Crash Involving A Drunk Driver

Additional details regarding this fatal crash involving a drunk driver can be seen in the sources mentioned above.  

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If you were injured in an accident – or represent someone who died in an accident – call Tony Elman, Lead Trial Attorney of the Elman Law Group, at (773) 392-8182 to discuss the accident and see what legal actions may be taken.  This legal consultation is free and is confidential in nature.

Elman Law Group, LLC has been handling Illinois personal injury cases for 25+ years, and during this time has handled over 10,000 personal injury cases.  Through this extensive experience we have built a reputation for our court trial performance.  As seen in many cases, this successful trial experience may (substantially) increase your potential accident injury compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles cases on a contingency basis…you will not be charged legal fees unless and until there is a monetary recovery.

Kane County “Head-On” Collision

There was a “head-on” collision near Batavia Wednesday (October 24, 2018) evening.  Following the crash one driver was charged with a DUI.

At the time of the crash, each of the two vehicles involved in the crash only had a driver as the vehicle occupant.  Both of these drivers were injured in this collision near Batavia.

The crash happened at approximately 6:00 p.m. as a Toyota heading northbound on Nelson Lake Road entered the opposing (southbound) lanes and hit an Audi.

An excerpt regarding the driver of the Toyota, identified as Kari A. Brand, from the October 25 Daily Herald article titled “Two hurt in head-on DUI crash near Batavia that prompted airlift“:

Kari A. Brand, 23, of the 200 block of Planters Row, Geneva, was charged with driving under the influence and driving in the wrong lane in the crash, which closed a stretch of the road, according to Pat Gengler, chief deputy for the Kane County sheriff’s office.

Both drivers were injured.  Brand was flown to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for treatment of her accident injuries.  Her injuries were considered to be non-life-threatening.  The driver the Audi, identified as a 46-year-old woman from Sugar Grove, was taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva for treatment of her injuries.  Her injuries were considered to be non-life-threatening in nature.

Additional Details Regarding This Collision Near Batavia

Additional details and possible updates concerning this “head-on” collision near Batavia can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the October 25 Kane County Chronicle article titled “Two-car accident shuts down Nelson Lake Road.”

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If you were injured in an accident – or represent someone who died in an accident – call Tony Elman, Lead Trial Attorney of the Elman Law Group, at (773) 392-8182 to discuss the accident and see what legal actions may be taken.  This legal consultation is free and is confidential in nature.

Elman Law Group, LLC has been handling Illinois personal injury cases for 25+ years, and during this time has handled over 10,000 personal injury cases.  Through this extensive experience we have built a reputation for our court trial performance.  As seen in many cases, this successful trial experience may (substantially) increase your potential accident injury compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles cases on a contingency basis…you will not be charged legal fees unless and until there is a monetary recovery.

Kane County DUI Fatal Traffic Accident

There was a Aurora DUI fatal traffic accident Wednesday (June 13, 2018) night near the Fox Valley Mall.  The accident involved a collision between a minivan and a semi truck.

An excerpt regarding the crash, from the June 14, 2018 Kane County Connects article titled “Update:  Driver Dies After Minivan Collides With Semi Near Fox Valley Mall“:

The Far East Side crash happened at around 11:35 p.m. Wednesday, June 13, at the intersection of Commons and McCoy drives and involved a 2014 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan and a 1995 Freightliner Semi.

The preliminary investigation indicates that the minivan, driven by Paul E. Lydston, 43, of the 300 block of Cane Garden Cr., was eastbound on McCoy when he blew the red light at Commons and struck the northbound semi.

As a result of the collision, Lydston became pinned under the semi’s trailer and was dragged about 100 feet by the truck.  He had to be extricated by firefighters.

He was first taken to an Aurora hospital for treatment of his accident injuries, and then flown to a suburban hospital.  He died the morning of June 14.

The driver of the semi truck, identified as a 28-year-old man, refused medical treatment at the accident scene.

Kane County Car Crash Leads To DUI Charge

There was a fatal car crash Friday afternoon (January 26, 2018) in Elgin.  The driver of the car was later charged with DUI.

According to information provided by the Elgin Police Department, the single-car crash happened at approximately 2:00 p.m. at the intersection of Larkin and Highland Avenues.

After the crash, both the driver and a passenger walked away from the accident scene.  However, the passenger died from his accident injuries after later being taken to Presence St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin.

An excerpt regarding the driver and the DUI charge, from the January 27, 2018 The Courier-News article titled “Passenger walks away from Elgin car crash, but later dies; driver charged with DUI“:

Jose C. DeLaTorre, 53, of the first block of North Jackson Avenue in Elgin, was charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence resulting in a death, felony aggravated driving under the influence and a misdemeanor count of driving an uninsured vehicle with bodily harm, according to Elgin police.

The accident remains under investigation.

Additional Details Regarding This Fatal Kane County Car Crash

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Kane County car accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the January 27 Daily Herald article titled “Elgin man charged with aggravated DUI in fatal Friday crash.”

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If you were injured in an accident – or represent someone who died in an accident – call Tony Elman, Lead Trial Attorney of the Elman Law Group, at (773) 392-8182 to discuss the accident and see what legal actions may be taken.  This legal consultation is free and is confidential in nature.

Elman Law Group, LLC has been handling Illinois personal injury cases for 25+ years, and during this time has handled over 10,000 personal injury cases.  Through this extensive experience we have built a reputation for our court trial performance.  As seen in many cases, this successful trial experience may (substantially) increase your potential accident injury compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles cases on a contingency basis…you will not be charged legal fees unless and until there is a monetary recovery.

Fatal Kane County Car Collision

There was a fatal car collision Friday night (October 7, 2016) in Aurora after which a 9-year-old girl died from accident injuries.

According to preliminary investigation results from the Aurora Police Department, the two-car collision occurred at approximately 9:10 p.m., as a Toyota minivan was driving northbound on Broadway Avenue, just south of Pierce Street.  At that time, a southbound Cadillac Deville drifted into the northbound lanes.  The minivan’s driver tried to avoid the car by turning sharply to the left; however, the Cadillac hit the minivan on the passenger’s side.  The minivan then struck a building on Broadway.

One of the minivan’s passengers, a 9-year-old girl who was sitting on the passenger side of the minivan, was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Aurora.  She was pronounced dead at 9:44 p.m.  Two other girls, ages 10 and 12, were also taken to the hospital for treatment of their accident injuries, which were considered to be non-life-threatening.

The 9-year-old girl’s mother refused medical treatment.

An excerpt from the October 8, 2016 Batavia Patch article titled “9-Year-Old Girl Dies in Aurora Crash“:

The driver of the Cadillac ran from the crash scene but was taken into custody without incident near the High Street Bridge that crosses the Burlington Northern Railroad tracks a short distance away, police said. Witnesses assisted Aurora police with descriptions of the man, which aided in his apprehension. He allegedly displayed signs of intoxication when taken into custody.

Charges are pending against the driver of the Cadillac, according to Aurora Police.

The traffic accident investigation by the Aurora Police Traffic Division is ongoing.

Additional Details And Possible Updates Concerning This Kane County Fatal Collision

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Batavia Patch article mentioned above, as well as the October 8 CBS Chicago article titled “Police:  9-Year-Old Girl Killed In Aurora Crash.”

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Elman Law Group is known for its litigation (court trial) capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if we are unable to attain an appropriate settlement, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.

In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To immediately speak directly with a trial lawyer from the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  There is no fee for this legal consultation.  

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Kane County and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits.

Fatal Kane County Vehicle Crash

There was a fatal Kane County vehicle accident early Sunday (February 7, 2016) in Aurora.  The accident involved a car that crashed into a house.

According to the Aurora Police Department, a preliminary investigation indicates the accident happened as a car (a 1996 Volkswagen Jetta) that was traveling southbound on Farnsworth Avenue lost control and left the roadway just south of Indian Avenue.  The car then hit a home in the 500 block of North Farnsworth Avenue.  The crash happened at approximately 2:04 a.m.

During the crash, an occupant, identified as Obed Cruz-Hernandez, 33, of Aurora, was ejected from the vehicle.

He was pronounced dead at 2:43 a.m., after being taken to Rush Copley Medical Center.

Another person was in the car as well, although at this point it is undetermined as to who was the driver of the car at the time of the accident.

That person was identified as Stephanie Figueroa, 27, of Streator.  She was taken into custody following a “brief foot pursuit” and was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

She was treated for accident injuries at an unspecified hospital, and then released.

Additional Details Regarding This Kane County Crash

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the February 8, 2016 Batavia Patch article titled “Coroner Identifies Man Killed When Vehicle Crashed Into Aurora Home” as well as the February 8 Daily Herald article titled “Police identify man in fatal crash.”

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Elman Law Group’s Lead Attorney, Tony Elman, is a personal injury trial lawyer.  Over the last 20+ years Elman Law Group has handled over 10,000 Illinois personal injury lawsuits.

Elman Law Group is known for its courtroom trial capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if an appropriate settlement is not offered, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.  In fact, because of this capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group take cases to court. 

To immediately speak directly with a trial lawyer from the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  There is no fee for this legal consultation.   Elman Law Group works on a “contingency” basis…Elman Law Group’s clients never pay a fee unless and until they receive monetary compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Kane County and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Driver Charged With DUI After Kane County Crash

There was a car crash in Batavia early Tuesday morning (November 24, 2015) after which the driver was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to Batavia Police, the accident happened at approximately 1:30 a.m., as a woman driving a SUV southbound on Prairie ran through a stop sign at a “T-intersection” and continued traveling straight, instead of turning.  In doing so, the SUV hit a house in the 300 block of Pine Street.  At that point, the SUV went “airborne,” striking two vehicles parked in the driveway, and pushing them into the garage.  The SUV landed on its roof atop one of the vehicles.

The driver of the SUV had to be extricated from her vehicle.  She was then taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva for treatment of her accident injuries, which were considered to be non-life-threatening in nature.

The driver was identified as Mary Gosselin, 21, of Batavia.  According to Batavia Police, in addition to the DUI charge she was also cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and disobeying a stop sign.

None of the residents in the house were injured during the crash.

Additional Details Regarding This Kane County Crash

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Kane County crash can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the November 24, 2015 Kane County Chronicle article titled “Driver charged with DUI after vehicle crashes into house in Batavia” as well as the November 24 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Woman cited after crashing into Batavia home.”

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Elman Law Group’s Lead Attorney, Tony Elman, is a personal injury trial lawyer.  Over the last 20+ years Elman Law Group has handled over 10,000 Illinois personal injury lawsuits.

Elman Law Group is known for its courtroom trial capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if an appropriate settlement is not offered, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.  In fact, because of this capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group take cases to court. 

To immediately speak directly with a trial lawyer from the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  There is no fee for this legal consultation.   Elman Law Group works on a “contingency” basis…Elman Law Group’s clients never pay a fee unless and until they receive monetary compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Kane County and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Drunk Driving Accidents In Kane County

Drunk driving accidents in Kane County, as well as throughout Illinois, remain a cause for concern.  The topic is further discussed in the Kane County Drunk Driving Accidents page.

Many drunk driving accidents occur during and around major holiday weekends.  As such, enforcement efforts are often targeted around these dates.

On March 12, 2015, the Illinois Department of Transportation issued a news release titled “IDOT, Illinois State Police, Local Law Enforcement:  Luck Alone Will Not Get You Home on St. Patricks’s Day.” (pdf)

An excerpt:

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois State Police (ISP) are partnering with nearly 200 local law enforcement agencies throughout the state this weekend and through St. Patrick’s Day to  encourage everyone celebrating to act responsibly and designate a sober driver. No amount of luck can save you from a drunk-driving crash. Everyone must do their part to help keep roads safe this St. Patrick’s Day. The message is simple – Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

Here are the unlucky statistics:

• In the last ten years (2005-2014), 30 people lost their lives in motor-vehicle crashes on March 17 (12:00 a.m.-11:59 p.m.). Eleven of those deaths involved a driver who had been drinking.
• When celebrations fall on the weekend directly before or afterMarch 17, typically there are more St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and potentially more impaired drivers on the roads. Last year in Illinois, March 17 occurred on a Monday, with the majority of St. Patrick’s Day activities happening between Friday, March 14, and the early-morning hours of Tuesday, March 18. During that timeframe, four people died in motor vehicle crashes, with one of those deaths involving an impaired driver.

Additional Details Regarding St. Patrick’s Day Enforcement Efforts

Additional details, including safety tips for those hosting and attending parties, can be seen in the IDOT news release mentioned above.

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Elman Law Group’s Lead Attorney, Tony Elman, is a personal injury trial lawyer.  Over the last 20+ years Elman Law Group has handled over 10,000 Illinois personal injury lawsuits.

Elman Law Group is known for its courtroom trial capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if an appropriate settlement is not offered, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.  In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To immediately speak directly with a trial lawyer from the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  There is no fee for this legal consultation.   Elman Law Group works on a “contingency” basis…Elman Law Group’s clients never pay a fee unless and until they receive monetary compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Kane County and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.

Drinking While Driving In Illinois And Kane County

Accidents caused by intoxicated motorists (DUI) continues to be a problematical issue in Illinois as well as nationally.  According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) 2013 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics (pdf) report, of the 895 fatal crashes in Illinois in 2013, 33.2% involved alcohol.  Of course, there were additional non-fatal crashes involving drivers who were intoxicated.

Drunk driving accidents in Kane County are broadly discussed in the Kane County Drunk Driving Accidents page, and specific accidents involving DUI charges are seen in the DUI category.

The reasons and contributing factors for these alcohol-related accidents are many.  There have been various steps taken to try to reduce drinking while driving, including increased enforcement efforts.

However, there remain reasons for concern over the way in which Illinois drunk drivers are handled and processed.  On February 28, 2015 the Chicago Tribune published an article titled “DUI paperwork mistakes allow thousands of drivers back on Illinois roads.”

An excerpt from the article:

Bureaucratic mix-ups have let thousands of drunken drivers avoid mandatory license suspensions and stay on the roads, a Tribune investigation has found.

In addition to discussing the issue, the article also provides various statistics regarding the problem.

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Elman Law Group’s Lead Attorney, Tony Elman, is a personal injury trial lawyer.  Over the last 20+ years Elman Law Group has handled over 10,000 Illinois personal injury lawsuits.

Elman Law Group is known for its courtroom trial capabilities.  This is important for your lawsuit because if an appropriate settlement is not offered, we have a proven track record of achieving highly attractive court verdicts.  In fact, because of this litigation capability, many well-known law firms choose to have Elman Law Group litigate cases. 

To immediately speak directly with a trial lawyer from the Elman Law Group, call (773) 392-8182 at any time.  There is no fee for this legal consultation.   Elman Law Group works on a “contingency” basis…Elman Law Group’s clients never pay a fee unless and until they receive monetary compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles Kane County and other Illinois personal injury lawsuits as well as wrongful death lawsuits.