Henry County Circuit Courtroom Decide James Cosby stated Monday that there’s possible trigger to cost a Kewanee teen for a September car accident that triggered the deaths of a Moline couple.
Jerni Warner, 17, Kewanee, appeared within the courtroom with shackles on her wrist and pleaded not responsible to the fees of two counts of aggravated DUI for an car accident the place she is accused of driving her automotive throughout a centerline and placing a motorbike and one other automobile. The motorbike operator, Garry Kelly, 42, together with passenger Leah Kelly, additionally 42, have been killed.
After Warner failed to seem for her first courtroom look on Sept. 27, a warrant was issued for arrest. On Oct. 14, she turned herself in and appeared at an arraignment the place she entered her preliminary not responsible plea. Warner was held on a $1 million bond.
On the preliminary listening to, Henry County State’s Lawyer Catherine Runty referred to as two deputies with the Henry County Sheriff’s Workplace as witnesses.
Deputy Adam Sovanski testified that he responded to a visitors accident on Hwy 78 close to Kewanee on Sept. 5. Already on the scene have been officers and first responders from the Kewanee Police and Hearth departments, Sovanski instructed the courtroom.
Three autos have been concerned within the accident – a white Chevy Malibu, a Harley-Davidson motorbike and a black SUV, he stated.
Runty questioned Sovanski as to when he ascertained the id of the motive force of the Malibu.
Sovanski testified that he spoke with the motive force of the Malibu on the scene solely briefly earlier than she was transported to the hospital. It wasn’t till he was on the hospital that he was in a position to establish her as Jerni Warner. The deputy additionally confirmed that there have been no different occupants within the Malibu however the driver.
Sovanski testified that on the hospital he was in a position to get a press release from the motive force of the black SUV, Jonathan Hawk. Hawk instructed him that he was driving his SUV northbound when the Malibu crossed the centerline and hit a motorbike. Sovanski stated Hawk instructed him that he both swerved or was struck and his automobile ended up overturned in a ditch.
The deputy instructed the courtroom that he discovered the identities of the 2 occupants of the motorbike, Garry and Leah Kelly, when the Henry County Coroner gave him their driver’s licenses. The Moline couple have been already deceased when he arrived on the scene, Sovanski testified. He additionally testified as to the findings of the coroner’s report that put the reason behind dying for the couple as blunt drive trauma from the visitors accident.
Sovanski additionally spoke with Warner on the hospital. He testified that she acknowledged that she was the motive force of the Malibu. As well as, Sovanski spoke with a health care provider about Warner’s want for remedy and discovered that the physician had ordered blood and urine exams, which subsequently got here again indicating that there was each alcohol and cocaine in her system, he stated.
Sovanski instructed the courtroom that he issued Warner two citations for improper lane utilization and violating the open container regulation. On the scene of the accident, Sovanski stated he considered open cans of alcohol inside her automobile.
On cross examination, Warner’s legal professional, William Ok Gullberg Jr., questioned Sovanski about whether or not the motive force of the SUV was truly hit by the Malibu. Sovanski replied that the motive force was not sure if he was hit by one thing.
Henry County Deputy Chad Winter testified on his accident reconstruction report. Winter, who obtained particular coaching in accident reconstruction in 2012, stated that his findings have been that unit one, the Malibu, crossed the centerline into the northbound lane, placing unit two, a motorbike, earlier than placing unit three, a black SUV.
Winter additionally instructed the courtroom that when the Malibu struck the motorbike, “it created pretty massive gouges within the roadway,” and that the Malibu had crossed over into a good portion of the opposite lane.
The Malibu, Winter stated, made preliminary contact with the SUV on the motive force’s aspect entrance then down the automobile and totally engaged over the rear axle, sending the automotive right into a ditch the place it overturned.
On cross examination, Gullberg questioned Winter about his coaching in accident reconstruction earlier than asking for extra details about the gouges on the highway.
Winter testified that when metallic is compelled into the highway, it creates massive gouges.
Gullberg entered a plea of not responsible for his consumer with a requirement for a jury trial. The defendant waived the studying of formal fees and penalties.
Decide Cosby set the trial date for the week of Jan. 24. A listening to was set for Thursday, Oct. 4 to listen to the protection’s motions for a bond evaluation and a furlough request.
