Chicago Car Accidents: Northbrook College Student Dies in Illinois Motor Vehicle Crash
A college student has died in an Illinois car accident close to Chicago. Andrew Galo, 22, was from Northbrook. He was riding as a passenger in a pickup truck when the vehicle drove off the road, hitting a semi-trailer that was parked close to an intersection. Galo sustained numerous injuries from the deadly Waukegan car accident and was pronounced dead at the crash site.
The driver of the pickup truck, 22-year-old Adam Burkhart, was treated at a Park Ridge hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. He has been charged with reckless homicide. Police also charged him with speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. Waukegan police say the Gurney resident was remanded to the Lake County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Speeding and Drunk Driving
Speeding and drunk driving are two of the most common causes of fatal US motor vehicle crashes. When done together, they make an even more deadly combination.
According to a 2007 Talk of the Nation discussion with University of Hawaii psychology professor Leon James, people speed because it’s part of our culture to “do something fast.” He says that many people don’t think that driving above the speed limit is necessarily dangerous.
However, speeding is the cause of 30% of motor vehicle fatalities that occur each year—about 1,000 deaths a month. Speeding makes it harder for a driver to stop their vehicle in time during an emergency situation. It also narrows the distance between a motor vehicle and the vehicle or obstacle in front of the car. The faster the speed that a motor vehicle is traveling the greater the impact of collision in the event of a car crash.
Compound the issue of speeding with driving drunk and the outcome can be catastrophic for the drunk driver or others. Drunk driving impairs ones judgment and ability to gauge distances between the driver’s vehicle and the vehicles and other objects around, while slowing down a motorist's reflexes.
Student dies in car accident near Chicago, Media.dennews.com, May 28, 2009
Gurnee man charged with reckless homicide, Lake County News-Sun, May 27, 2009
Northbrook passenger killed in car crash, Gurnee driver charged, Northbrook Star, May 26, 2009
Psychology behind the wheel: Why do we speed?, NPR, June 7, 2007
Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Driving under the influence and speeding can be grounds for a Chicago car accident lawsuit if someone is injured or killed as a result. Contact our Chicago, Illinois car crash law firm today.
