A Cicero man was sentenced to 7 years in prison this week for causing a fatal Chicago car vs. bicycle accident last year while driving drunk, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.
The 50-year-old man pleaded guilty at the Cook County courthouse in Maywood in connection with the Chicago drunk driving accident. He had been charged with one count each of aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury.
He admitted to running a red light in his van on Roosevelt Road about 8:30 p.m. on July 23, 2008, where he struck a 49-year-old woman crossing Roosevelt on her bicycle. He left her lying in the street, severely wounded with broken bones and a head injury and fled the scene because he did not have a driver’s license, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The victim, Wilma Bradford, 49, of Cicero, survived for six months in a coma before dying in January as a result of her injuries.
Police found the hit-and-run driver in the attic of his home about an hour after the crash. Blood and urine samples taken four hours after the crash showed he had cocaine in his system and a blood-alcohol content of .06, just under the legal limit of .08.
His license was suspended because at the time of the accident and he had just been convicted of misdemeanor driving under the influence, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santini.
It has not been reported if the family of the victim is pursuing a civil wrongful death action against the driver.
For more information about Chicago drunk driving accidents, safety tips and legal resources, please visit the Chicago car accident lawyers blog.