Naperville dentist accused of reckless homicide dies
A Naperville dentist charged with reckless homicide after an I-88 crash that killed two people died Friday, his attorney said.
William A. Howe, 43, had been hospitalized at Loyola Medical Center in Maywood after the Aug. 6 crash near Lisle that killed Sher Ali Shalwani, 75, and his daughter Farzana Ali, 38, both of Elmhurst.
Prosecutors said Howe was traveling east on I-88 when his Porsche crossed the highway and went into the westbound lanes. Howe’s car struck Shalwani and Ali’s 2004 Toyota Corolla head-on.
Authorities said witnesses reported seeing cash flying out of Howe’s Porsche at the time of the crash.
Howe suffered a broken leg and fractured hip in the crash, but it’s unclear if he died as a result of those injuries.
His attorney, John Curnyn, said earlier this month that Howe had Huntington’s disease, which “may have contributed to the cause of this event.” The rapidly progressive disease affects nerve cells in the brain.
In an interview Friday, Curnyn said his client had been recovering from crash injuries “as well as he could due to his Huntington’s condition,” but his condition worsened Friday.
Howe had bleeding in the brain area, went unconscious, and was put on a respirator. He died about 5 p.m., Curnyn said.
He said Howe’s family wanted to express their sympathy to the victims’ family.
“The Howe family, while they’re grieving their loss, has been very sympathetic because of the tragedy that has occurred,” Curnyn said. “Their hearts go out to those victims as well. For everybody involved, it’s just a sad, sad tragedy.”
Curnyn said he informed DuPage County prosecutors about Howe’s death.
State’s attorney’s office spokesman Paul Darrah said, “The whole thing is a tragedy for the victims’ and (Howe’s) families. We may never know what prompted him to do what the allegations were.”
An autopsy by the Cook County medical examiner’s office was scheduled for today.
Howe, licensed as a dentist in Aurora since 1993, filed for bankruptcy several years ago and hadn’t made payments on a $295,331 mortgage since March, according to court records.
He was also arrested on DUI charges in February, following similar charges in 2008 and 2010. He previously faced allegations of domestic violence.
Crash: Dentist’s family sympathizes with victims’ family