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05-12-2003, 03:02 AM
Driver guilty in connection with fatal crash during sex (http://www.qconline.com/archives/qco/sections.cgi?reg!id!154024)
By Jason M. Rodriguez, Staff writer
MONMOUTH -- A Galesburg man and his roommate likely were having sex when the car he was driving crossed the center line and struck an oncoming truck, killing the woman in a crash nearly 18 months ago, according to court testimony.
Sonny S. Morris Sr., 32, was found guilty Friday of aggravated driving under the influence in the accident that killed Christina Valerio on Jan. 17, 2002. A charge of reckless homicide was dropped.
Mr. Morris sat at the defendant's table, bouncing his knee and jerking his clasped hands off his thigh, as details of the incident were recounted during the daylong bench trial.
Witnesses testified Friday that they saw the 1990 Chevy Caprice driven by Mr. Morris sway on and off U.S. 34 and across the center line for up to nine miles between Biggsville, in Henderson County, and Kirkwood, in Warren County.
James Mueller, a truck driver for Sara Lee Bread Co., said he was driving his truck ``about 12 to 15 car lengths'' behind Mr. Morris because of ``erratic'' driving. He said the car would reach speeds of 60 to 65 mph, then drop to 30-35 miles per hour.
Mr. Mueller said he witnessed the Caprice crossing the centerline and smacking a 1999 Freightline truck nearly head on about 5:20 a.m., about four miles east of the Henderson County line.
What witnesses didn't see was what was happening inside the car.
According to testimony from Warren County Deputy Adam Hart, Mr. Morris was found outside of the Caprice, wearing a condom with his pants and underwear around his ankles. The steering wheel of the car was imbedded in Ms. Valerio's back, was naked from the waist down.
The two were driving from Scooters Cabaret, a strip club in Gladstone, Ill., to their home in Galesburg. The two were not dating, according to testimony, but had been living together with Mr. Morris' ex-wife.
Testimony indicated Mr. Morris' blood-alcohol content was .06 -- below the .08 legal limit for intoxication -- and there was THC, a component of cannabis, in his urine.
Mr. Morris' attorney, public defender Scott Shipplette, argued successfully that the state ``failed to establish, as required by statute, that the defendant was under the influence of cannabis that rendered him incapable of driving,'' said Circuit Judge Greg McClintock.
Judge McClintock granted Mr. Shipplette's motion for directed verdict on a reckless-homicide charge, and therefore it was dropped. He found Mr. Morris guilty of aggravated driving under the influence of cannabis.
Mr. Morris will remain in the Warren County Jail until his sentencing June
16.
Ms. Valerio's parents, Bill and Sue Christensen, said that as long as Mr.
Morris is punished, that was all they were looking for.
``As far as I'm concerned, he's going to at least pay some justice for what he did,'' Mr. Christensen said. ``Now the only thing is how many years he spends in jail.''
Lori Akers, who was present during the entire trial Friday, said Mr. Morris is the father of her two children. She said he has lost weight and lost memory, and that he seemed upset after the verdict was read.
``I think he's still kind of upset because they did not prove he smoked marijuana,'' she said. ``It could have been in his system from being around someone else who smoked.
``I feel for both sides.''
Staff writer Jason Rodriguez can
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Hopefully this won't keep my girlfriend from at leat trying...
By Jason M. Rodriguez, Staff writer
MONMOUTH -- A Galesburg man and his roommate likely were having sex when the car he was driving crossed the center line and struck an oncoming truck, killing the woman in a crash nearly 18 months ago, according to court testimony.
Sonny S. Morris Sr., 32, was found guilty Friday of aggravated driving under the influence in the accident that killed Christina Valerio on Jan. 17, 2002. A charge of reckless homicide was dropped.
Mr. Morris sat at the defendant's table, bouncing his knee and jerking his clasped hands off his thigh, as details of the incident were recounted during the daylong bench trial.
Witnesses testified Friday that they saw the 1990 Chevy Caprice driven by Mr. Morris sway on and off U.S. 34 and across the center line for up to nine miles between Biggsville, in Henderson County, and Kirkwood, in Warren County.
James Mueller, a truck driver for Sara Lee Bread Co., said he was driving his truck ``about 12 to 15 car lengths'' behind Mr. Morris because of ``erratic'' driving. He said the car would reach speeds of 60 to 65 mph, then drop to 30-35 miles per hour.
Mr. Mueller said he witnessed the Caprice crossing the centerline and smacking a 1999 Freightline truck nearly head on about 5:20 a.m., about four miles east of the Henderson County line.
What witnesses didn't see was what was happening inside the car.
According to testimony from Warren County Deputy Adam Hart, Mr. Morris was found outside of the Caprice, wearing a condom with his pants and underwear around his ankles. The steering wheel of the car was imbedded in Ms. Valerio's back, was naked from the waist down.
The two were driving from Scooters Cabaret, a strip club in Gladstone, Ill., to their home in Galesburg. The two were not dating, according to testimony, but had been living together with Mr. Morris' ex-wife.
Testimony indicated Mr. Morris' blood-alcohol content was .06 -- below the .08 legal limit for intoxication -- and there was THC, a component of cannabis, in his urine.
Mr. Morris' attorney, public defender Scott Shipplette, argued successfully that the state ``failed to establish, as required by statute, that the defendant was under the influence of cannabis that rendered him incapable of driving,'' said Circuit Judge Greg McClintock.
Judge McClintock granted Mr. Shipplette's motion for directed verdict on a reckless-homicide charge, and therefore it was dropped. He found Mr. Morris guilty of aggravated driving under the influence of cannabis.
Mr. Morris will remain in the Warren County Jail until his sentencing June
16.
Ms. Valerio's parents, Bill and Sue Christensen, said that as long as Mr.
Morris is punished, that was all they were looking for.
``As far as I'm concerned, he's going to at least pay some justice for what he did,'' Mr. Christensen said. ``Now the only thing is how many years he spends in jail.''
Lori Akers, who was present during the entire trial Friday, said Mr. Morris is the father of her two children. She said he has lost weight and lost memory, and that he seemed upset after the verdict was read.
``I think he's still kind of upset because they did not prove he smoked marijuana,'' she said. ``It could have been in his system from being around someone else who smoked.
``I feel for both sides.''
Staff writer Jason Rodriguez can
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Hopefully this won't keep my girlfriend from at leat trying...