Chicago Car Accident Attorneys Blog

In Adams County, 19-year-old Matthew Ruble has been charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence and two counts of reckless homicide in the deaths of two 18-year-olds. He also was charged with not wearing a seat belt and leaving a deadly crash site. If convicted of all charges related to their Illinois car crash fatalities, he could face up to 50 years in prison.

According to Illinois State Police, at around 2am on Sunday, Ruble was driving his vehicle on the wrong lane on Illinois 104 close to Five Points when his car collided head-on with the vehicle driven by 17-year-old Ashley Graves. Graves sustained serious injuries, while her two passengers, Alissa Zornes and Jordan Schieferdecker, died of their injuries. Graves, Zornes, Schieferdecker, and Ruble are all from Quincy. Ruble sustained facial injuries during the Illinois car accident.

Police say that Ruble tried to flee the crash site but was apprehended. He reportedly admitted to be drunk while driving and was more concerned about his pickup truck. Two witnesses who had also been riding on Ill 104 that night said that a pickup truck had nearly struck the vehicle they were in.

Prior to this deadly Adams County car accident, Ruble was a “person of interest” in an Illinois hit-and-run collision that occurred in Payson when a house was hit by a truck fitting a description matching the one that the 19-year-old was driving. He also had received a number of traffic tickets in Pike County and in 2008 was convicted of misdemeanor consumption of alcohol by a minor.

Not only can negligent Illinois drivers be held liable in criminal court for causing deadly car crashes, but they can be sued for wrongful death.

Matthew Ruble faces up to 50 years in prison after being charged in fatal crash that killed two Quincy teens, Whig.com, April 21, 2009

20-year-old Quincy man faces prison time, Connecttristates.com, April 19, 2009

Related Web Resources:
2009 Rules of the Road, Cyber Drive Illinois