An Illinois man was sentenced to 26 years in prison for a DUI crash that killed two small children. The 41-year-old man was under the influence of PCP and opiates when he crashed his speeding car into a family’s vehicle in Chicago in 2012. A 5-year-old and a 10-month-old were tragically killed in the crash. The parents survived the accident but lost their only children.
According to Chicago Police, the convicted murder was high, speeding through stop lights on southbound Western Boulevard in a Mercury Mountaineer. He ran two red lights before crashing into the family’s Dodge Neon at over 80 mph. The neon was sent spinning into a pole. The children were crushed and died instantly. The convicted murder had seven prior convictions and was known as the Latin King.
Witnesses testified at his trial that the man was indifferent towards his actions. A hospital staff testified at trial that he asked for a sandwich and not about the fatal wreck he caused. He is also recorded laughing at trial while he talked about getting high that night. Despite his Public Defender arguing that it was not an intentional act, and he was not a murderer, the jury ruled against him. He will spend the next 26 years in prison for the accident.
The victims now have a three-year-old child that carries the namesake of those lost that horrific evening. The parents say they are pleased with the sentence.
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