St. Charles man killed in head-on crash this morning

A St. Charles father of four was killed Thursday morning in a head-on crash after his vehicle was struck by another on Fabyan Parkway in unincorporated Kane County, according to sheriff's police.

Craig Smith, 53, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Reginald Hearon, 48, of Plano, has received three traffic tickets in connection with the crash near Batavia.

Hearon, of 3500 Boyer, was cited for passing in a no-passing zone, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, according to Kane County sheriff's police.

Tina Smith said her husband was on his way to his job as a service technician at EDM Network Inc. in Sugar Grove. He had worked there for nine years, and liked to get in early before everybody else.

"He was very dedicated to his job," she said.

Smith was the father of four sons - Erik, Matthew, Daniel and Thomas - ages 27 to 17. He and Tina met while working at the Montgomery Ward store that used to be on Randall Road in St. Charles, and were married 30 years. He grew up in Maywood, but moved to St. Charles his senior year of high school, Tina Smith said.

After high school, he served three years in the Navy. Smith loved outdoor sports, including skiing in the Tetons, camping and kayaking, his wife said.

Funeral arrangements were pending as of late Thursday afternoon.

Police said Hearon was driving a Ford Econoline van to his job as a guard at the Illinois Youth Center in St. Charles at 5:30 a.m. when he entered the westbound lane on Fabyan to pass other vehicles and hit Smith's Chevrolet Trail Blazer head-on.

Hearon was taken to Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva, where he was listed in fair condition Thursday afternoon.

There were no passengers in either vehicle.

The accident happened between Hughes Road and Main Street. Eyewitnesses said Smith's sport utility vehicle rolled over in the crash. The road was closed until 10 a.m.

Both men were wearing their seat belts, and police say they haven't determined if drugs or alcohol were a factor.