DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — It was an emotional day in court as Rashean D. Vorties, the man accused of reckless driving in a crash that seriously injured St. Teresa High School teacher Amber (Johnson) Hooker in April, 2022, was sentenced to ten years in prison.
After the hearing concluded, Vorties took Hooker by the hand and apologized to her.
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In court Wednesday, Vorties entered into a plea deal, pleading guilty to aggravated street racing.
Rashean D. Vorties in court.
Vorties was initially charged with aggravated street racing and aggravated reckless driving after being arrested in July 2022 following a lengthy Decatur police investigation after the April 29, 2022 crash.
According to police, the investigation found that Vorties was traveling at 109 mph at the time of his vehicle's collision with one driven by Amber (Johnson) Hooker as she was leaving the St. Teresa lot on North Water Street.
Amber Johnson in court.
Hooker suffered life-threatening injuries including two brain bleeds and multiple fractures after the crash. She was in a coma for five weeks and then underwent months of rehabilitation.
>>St. Teresa coach inspires with recovery
She was in attendance at the hearing Wednesday, along with family members, friends and supporters wearing matching "Amber's Army" shirts. In court, she gave a victim impact statement.
"I am very lucky to be alive today," Hooker said. "I almost had my life ripped away from me... I could be filled with anger and resentment, but I'm not. I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else."
"You can cover the length of a football field in two seconds going that fast," she said of the crash.
"No one else should have to go through what I did, to relearn basic skills."
"I don't like to say I was in an accident," she continued. "To me, an accident is something you didn't mean to do, something unintentional."
"Rashean should know, while he was walking the streets free, I was pouring my heart into my recovery. I had to go through that recovery because of him."
"I might be scarred for life physically and figuratively, but I am here today," Hooker said.
"All that I want is a simple apology," she said. She said, "I hope and pray for you Rashean."
"Every hardship creates an opportunity."
Vorties blew kisses to members of his own family who were in the courtroom before being taken out.
He received credit for one day served in jail.
He spoke briefly with WAND News as he was being taken out of court:
He had also faced charges for being an armed habitual offender and possession of machine gun from a Nov. 2022 case, but those were dropped.
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