Illinois State student hit by vehicle dies; Lombard man charged
An Illinois State University student from Crystal Lake died Tuesday after he was struck by a vehicle in Normal, Illinois, last week, The Associated Press reports.
McLean County Coroner Kathleen Davis said Benjamin Allison, 20, died at the hospital.
Normal police responded Jan. 24 to the intersection of College Avenue and Fell Street for a traffic crash involving a pedestrian, according to a news release from that day. The vehicle had fled the scene, police said.
Allison was discovered unresponsive in the roadway and taken to the hospital.
Police arrested 21-year-old Joshua M. Dunn in connection with the crash, according to the news release.
The Daily Vidette student newspaper has reported that Dunn, an ISU music education major from Lombard, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. ABC 7 Chicago reported Dunn was also charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Dunn attended a bond hearing in McLean County Circuit Court by a video link with the county jail, The Pantagraph reported. Dunn's bail was set at $750,000 by Associate Judge David Butler; he will have to post $75,025 to be released.
Dunn consumed alcohol at a party he attended the night prior to the accident, Assistant State's Attorney Ashley Scarborough told The Pantagraph.
At first, Dunn said he was unsure how his car's windshield was shattered. Based on his statement and his appearance, police suspected that Dunn had been drinking, they said.
Scarborough said additional charges are likely because she considers Dunn a flight risk due to his location outside McLean County, The Pantagraph said. Feb. 13 is the date set for the arraignment.
Allison was an avid hockey player, ABC 7 Chicago reports.
"Ben was one of those kids who would walk into a room and everyone would like him immediately," Crystal Lake South varsity hockey coach Rich Perillo said. "He had a smile on his face. He was always happy, always willing to help everybody."
ISU President Larry Dietz said Allison was a communications major and worked at the ISU radio station, WZND, according to The Associated Press.
Coach Perillo told ABC 7 Allison's athletic ability and great attitude made him the backbone of the team. Nicknamed "Big Ben" for his 6-foot, 5-inch frame, Allison was the goalie and gave his younger teammates pointers.
"One of the things that stood out was his size and how good he was," former teammate Hayden Hooghkirk said. "He took me under his wing and showed me a lot of what I know."
Soon after Allison was brought to the hospital, friends started a Facebook page updating his condition. His parents decided Monday to take their only child off life support, planning to donate his organs.
"He was just one of those guys that, no matter where you went, no matter who he met, no matter the situation, everybody loved him," Wayne Bower, assistant hockey coach for Crystal Lake South, told ABC 7 Chicago.
On Saturday, when the varsity coach broke the news about the accident and Allison's injuries, the team played a game an hour later in his honor, ABC 7 said. They tied 4-4.