Any person who has driven after the sun has set knows that a driver’s visibility can be significantly reduced at night. If a person were driving on a dimly lit street, it might be difficult to see pedestrians in the roadway. This is especially true if those pedestrians are not in a crosswalk, or if they attempt to cross unexpectedly. However, after an accident that could have just as easily been caused by reduced visibility, one man now faces a DUI charge after a pedestrian fatality in Illinois.
The accident occurred one day in mid-September. Police reported that they received a call just after 9 p.m. one night. They say that a male pedestrian was struck by a pickup truck driven by a man. Unfortunately, the pedestrian died at the scene.
No other injuries were reported, but the driver was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. It is unclear at this time why police suspected him of drinking and driving or what his blood alcohol content may have been at the time of the accident. Reports indicate that the accident remains under investigation.
The death of the pedestrian is a tragedy with which his family must now cope. However, the driver who now faces a DUI charge is presumed innocent until — and only if — Illinois prosecutors can provide sufficient evidence to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. While it may be easy to assume that person driving at night who is involved in an accident was under the influence of alcohol, these assumptions are not enough to gain a guilty conviction in a criminal court.
Source: CBS Chicago, “Driver Arrested For DUI After Pedestrian Killed In McHenry Crash“, , Sept. 10, 2014