Lawsuit filed in fatal Kane Co. crash

A St. Charles woman whose husband was killed in an Oct. 2 crash is suing the driver accused of causing the accident

The wrongful death lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of the late Craig R. Smith names Reginald Hearon, 48, of Plano, as defendant and seeks more than $50,000 in damages.

Smith, a 53-year-old father of four, died when his Chevrolet Trail Blazer collided head-on with Hearon's Ford Econoline around 5:30 a.m. on Fabyan Parkway near Hughes Road in unincorporated Kane County. Hearon was cited for passing in a no-passing zone, operating an uninsured vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

As a result of Smith's death, his widow and four sons, ages 17 to 27, suffered "loss of support, loss of society and grief," according to the lawsuit. It is scheduled to go before Kane County Judge Donald Fabian on Feb. 19.

Neither Hearon, who was not seriously hurt in the crash, nor his attorney could be reached for comment Friday. Hearon is set to appear in court Dec. 16 on the traffic citations.