SHELBY COUNTY, (WAND)- Judge finds 26-year-old man guilty after speeding 35 miles per hour over the speed limit and causing a fatal pedestrian accident.
Shelby County State's Attorney Nichole Kroncke announces that following a June 16, 2021 bench trial, Briar True, 26, of Neoga, Illinois, was found guilty of speeding 35 miles per hour over the maximum speed limit, a Class A Misdemeanor.
On June 4, 2020, at approximately 5 a.m. True was driving on Route 16, Shelbyville, near the U.S. Army Corps Visitors Center, when Sidney Manning, an 84-year-old pedestrian, walked across Route 16 and was fatally struck by True's vehicle.
The fatal accident resulted in an extensive investigation by the Illinois State Police, which consisted of complex crash reconstruction variables and methodology.
Both the Shelbyville Police and Shelby County Sheriff's Department assisted at the crash site.
At trial, the Illinois State Police crash reconstructionists Brian Scott and Steve Coady testified as expert witnesses.
True's vehicle was estimated to have traveled between 82 and 98 miles per hour at the point of impact. The posted speed limit where the accident occurred was 45 miles per hour.
Judge Martin Siemer presided over the bench trial and issued a written order on June 24, 2021, finding True guilty.
True faces a maximum punishment of up to 364 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500. He will be sentenced at a later date.
