Crime & Safety

Mokena Man Pleads Guilty in Crash that Killed Two

Joseph E. Slattery, 27, pleaded guilty in Will County Court to three counts of aggravated DUI that resulted in the death of two in Peotone Township, the Sun-Times Media reported.

A 27-year-old Mokena man pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated DUI in a 2011 crash that took the lives of two elderly women in Peotone Township.

Joseph E. Slattery, of the 20000 block of Lakeview Way, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated DUI in connection with an Aug. 28, 2011, death of Margaret Simons, 72, and her mother, 92-year-old Suzanne Thomson, both of Rolling Meadows. Simons' 44-year-old son Ralph, escaped with non-life-threatening injuries, the Sun-Times Media reported.  

The two elderly women were killed in a head-on crash on Route 45 near Wilmington-Peotone Road. Slattery had drugs and alcohol in his system and a 1-year-old in his car when he crashed into Simons' oncoming car.  Slattery's girlfriend and child also escaped with non-life-threatening injuries.

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The case was tried before Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak. According to the Sun-Times Media, Slattery is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26. He faces six-to-28 years in prison for each fatality and another one-to-12 years for the injury of Simons' special-needs son, Ralph Simons.

A witness to the accident at the time told police that Margaret Simons had slowed to about 26 mph and had swerved in an attempt to avoid Slattery’s car. Assistant State's Attorney Frank Byers said evidence indicated that Slattery had not attempted to slow down during the accident. His 2001 Chevy Cavalier was traveling about 53 mph at the time of the accident.

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