As reported by My Fox Chicago and Sun-Times Media, a man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for drunk driving his truck into a horse ridden by his fiancé, killing her and wounding her best friend. According to the prosecution, it was his third DUI arrest.
The crash occurred in the early morning of April 11, 2011 at the Balmoral Park horse racetrack.
A.L. admitted to police that he had consumed numerous beers in a bar and then drank rum at a barn at the racetrack before the accident.
Though A.L. planned to marry M.E., according to Assistant WIll County State's Attorney Jessica Colon-Sayre, he failed to learn the dangers of drinking and driving from his earlier arrests to prevent her death.
Colin-Sayre argued that A.L. admitted to police that he had been drinking before driving his white Dodge Ram truck into the horse M.E. was riding with her friend, H.F.
Will County Judge Richard Schoenstedt handed down the nine-year sentence. While relatives of both the defendant and the deceased listened in court the judge said, "The events of that night, although unusual, were certainly preventable."
Witnesses testified that all three, A.L., M.E. and H.F. were drinking at the Throwback Bar & Grill in Crete after a day of racing. Allegedly after closing down the bar, they agreed to meet another racer in his Balmoral barn – to drink some more.
The two women left the barn sometime later to take a horse named Rendezvous out for a bareback ride. Approximately 20 minutes after they left A.L. also left, in hopes of finding them.
Police reported that just before 5 a.m. on Backstretch Road A.L. did meet up with M.E. and H.F. – he drove his truck right up to them. A.L. claimed that he was only driving 20 mph when the horse bucked its head, hitting the truck in the process.
However, a reconstructionist from the Illinois State Police stated that A.L. was traveling no slower than 46 mph and when coming up to the horse, he then slammed on his brakes. The force caused the truck to spin and the horse's rear hit against the truck's rear.
Witnesses, and police accounts, stated that A.L. was unsteady on his feet and his eyes were bloodshot. His blood alcohol percent proved to be 0.147 following the crash.
A.L. pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI. M.E.'s sister, J.E., asked the judge to give A.L. 14 years in prison – the maximum possible punishment.
Julie Primozic was one of the attorneys defending A.L. She said that A.L. had immediately accepted responsibility for the accident. She also challenged the conclusions made by the police reconstructionist, saying that there were several variables to be taken into consideration when a car crash involves a horse.
As far as her client accepting that he is an alcoholic, Primozic said, "He understands that he needs treatment."
Contact a DUI attorney for the defense of criminal charges relating to DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI. Only a qualified DUI attorney will have the experience that you need in court.