According to the Daily Herald, an 18-year-old man from Plato Township has been charged in connection with a school bus crash that killed two siblings in Kane County on Halloween.
Tyler A. Schmidt was charged with aggravated driving under the influence of drugs and reckless homicide; speeding and failing to slow down to avoid a collision; felony aggravated driving under the influence of drugs causing great bodily harm to a minor passenger; felony aggravated reckless driving “with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons,” exceeding the speed limit; and failing to slow down to avoid collision with a school bus that was stopped to drop off students.
According to public records, the charges were sealed from public disclosure pending Schmidt’s arrest.
According to court documents, Schmidt was under the influence of marijuana during the accident.
According to the report, Schmidt was arrested on December 27, 21 days after a warrant was issued.
Using data from the vehicle’s black box and accident reconstruction, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain estimated that Schmidt was traveling 5 to 8 miles over the 45-mile-per-hour speed limit on Empire Road in Campton Township at the time of the collision.
Emil, 19, and Grace, 20, Diewald, were passengers in Schmidt’s 2013 Lexus SUV.
A 17-year-old girl from South Elgin was also in the vehicle and was airlifted to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, but there are no reports on her condition.
Kane County officials reported no injuries on the school bus transporting Lily Lake Elementary School students home.
At a November vigil, many spoke of the siblings’ positive spirit and loving hearts.
According to court records, Schmidt is being held in the Kane County jail on a $100,000 bond, with $10,000 or 10% required to be released on bail.
On January 6, he is scheduled to appear in court.
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