Driver guilty of hitting woman on SC sidewalk
From Submitted Reports August 31, 2012 12:24PM
Updated: October 3, 2012 6:15AM
A West Chicago man has been convicted of his role in a 2010 DUI crash in which his pickup truck drove onto a downtown St. Charles sidewalk, severely injuring a pedestrian.
Donald E. Rericka Jr., 49, of the 29W block of Helen Avenue, was convicted late Tuesday by a Kane County jury of one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 4 felony.
Evidence showed that at about 2 a.m. Jan. 31, 2010, Rericka was driving a Silver Chevy 1500 pickup truck southbound on Route 31 in St. Charles and made a left turn to go eastbound on Route 64. Rericka failed to properly negotiate the turn, lost control of his vehicle, drove up over the sidewalk and struck a tree and a pedestrian.
The pedestrian, a Geneva woman who now is 50, suffered several severe injuries, including bleeding on her brain, a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, a cracked sternum and a broken finger.
The investigation revealed that Rericka’s blood-alcohol concentration was .170.
The victim testified during the trial that she is still recovering from the injuries, and as a result of the crash continues to experience short-term memory loss and limited mobility, and has had to forgo activities such as running, skiing and water skiing.
Associate Judge Marmarie J. Kostelny set Rericka’s next court appearance for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in Courtroom 217, for post-trial motions and sentencing. Rericka faces a sentence of probation or between one and 12 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Rericka remains free on $3,000 bond. As a condition of bond, Rericka must refrain from possessing or consuming alcohol.
The case was prosecuted by Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Steve Sims and Lori Anderson.
