DUIs

An analysis of recent DUI arrest data suggests that the technology may deserve some of the credit.

This ruling proves once again the old adage that if you want to kill someone with few consequences, make sure they’re riding a bike.

Robert Vais, the driver who struck and killed cyclist Hector Avalos, pleaded guilty yesterday to aggravated DUI resulting in a death. According to Illinois law, the charge carries a jail sentence of three-to-fourteen years, at least 85 percent of which must be served in prison, plus fines of up to $25,000. Probation is generally not an option, except in extraordinary circumstances.

At a court hearing last Thursday in the case against Robert Vais, the motorist who struck and killed cyclist Hector Avalos while allegedly drunk, the defense team announced that Vais plans to plead guilty at the next hearing.

At a hearing this morning in the case against the driver who killed cyclist Bobby Cann, the judge didn't grant a motion by the prosecutor to put all court proceedings on hold until the Illinois Appellate Court decides whether homicide charges against the defendant were valid.

At a packed courtroom hearing this morning, Assistant State’s Attorney Maria Augustus told the judge she has filed an appeal regarding his decision to dismiss reckless homicide charges against the driver who struck and killed cyclist Bobby Cann.

Last Friday, exactly one year after Hector Avalos was struck and killed by an allegedly drunk driver, his family and friends gathered to remember him at the “ghost bike” erected in his honor. The white-painted bicycle, installed at the crash site on the 2500 block of West Ogden in Douglas Park, is part of a worldwide movement to memorialize fallen cyclists. Avalos’ memorial serves as a somber reminder of a valuable life lost.

At a hearing last Wednesday, Judge Nicholas Ford denied a Motion to Quash Arrest filed by lawyers for Robert Vais, the driver accused of fatally striking cyclist Hector Avalos while drunk.