Bail reduced for St. Charles man, 80, charged in crash

A Kane County judge Wednesday reduced bail from $500,000 to $50,000 for an 80-year-old St. Charles man accused of intentionally causing a head-on crash earlier this month in Geneva.

Should he post the necessary $5,000 to be released from the county lockup, George H. Smith must reside with his son and comply with electronic home monitoring. He also is prohibited from possessing firearms and must attend court-ordered counseling, Kane County Associate Judge Allen M. Anderson ruled.

"I intend to eventually have Mr. Smith return to his own home," Anderson said.

Smith, of the 1000 block of North Fifth Avenue, is charged with two counts of aggravated battery in connection with the Aug. 6 crash, which left the other driver with severe head and leg injuries.

According to police, Smith told investigators he swerved into oncoming traffic in an attempt to kill himself and "hurt someone else in the process" after his wife sought an order of protection from him.

On Wednesday, Anderson said a recent diagnostic report on Smith did not find any "suicidal circumstances." But the judge said he wants Smith to live with his son and daughter-in-law for two or three months before he will consider allowing him to return to his own home. "This is a key component of what I'm doing here today," Anderson said.

The order of protection taken out in July by Smith's 92-year-old wife, who is living away from the family home, remains in effect, as does another taken out by Smith's sister-in-law. Anderson said Smith must continue to comply with those court orders.