A Lombard man has been charged with reckless homicide for his role in an Oak Brook crash that resulted in the death of a 78-year-old Westmont woman.
Driver Tried to Pass in No-Passing Zone
On the early morning of November 8, 2019, at approximately 6:50 a.m., 48-year-old Todd Heidenthal was driving a white Nissan eastbound on 35th Street between Midwest Road and Route 83 in Oak Brook, IL. According to DuPage County prosecutors, Mr. Heidenthal then tried to pass a BMW in front of him in a no-passing zone by crossing over a double yellow line into oncoming traffic. During this attempt, Mr. Heidenthal crashed head on into a silver Toyota driven by 78-year-old Florence Hsaio of Westmont, then with the driver’s side of the BMW.
Ms. Hsaio was taken to an area hospital in critical condition. She later died from her injuries.
The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office has charged Todd Heidenthal with one count of reckless homicide for his part in the death of Florence Hsiao. He remains hospitalized for injuries sustained in the crash. Once he is discharged, he will be taken into custody, according to prosecutors.
Mr. Heidenthal’s bond was set at $250,000.00.
Reckless Homicide in Illinois
Reckless homicide is a crime in which the perpetrator was aware that his or her act (or failure to act when there is a legal duty to act) creates significant risk of death or grievous bodily harm in the victim, but ignores the risk and continues to act (or fail to act), and a human death results.
In most cases of unintentional death in Illinois, when the death results from someone else’s negligent behavior, the offender may be charged with involuntary manslaughter. However, if that death results from negligent behavior involving a motor vehicle, the charge may be reckless homicide or vehicular homicide.
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If your loved one was killed as a result of reckless homicide, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation for your loss. To maximize that compensation, it might be beneficial to retain knowledgeable legal representation, such as the kind you would find from the Burr Ridge car accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers.
GWC can help you recover expenses associated with your loved one’s death, including:
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