Teen gets probation for crash with cyclist

Darrell Hairl had a clean record, until he made some "stupid mistakes."

The first came Feb. 4, the day Streamwood police charged the then-17-year-old with possession of cannabis. Things went downhill quickly from there.

Less than a week later, the car Hairl was driving hit a 28-year-old bicyclist riding on the 500 block of Lacy Ave., Streamwood. The male victim suffered a broken nose and a concussion. On Feb. 11, one day after the accident, Hairl, 18, showed up at the police station claiming he'd been involved in an incident with a truck. Later, he confessed he hit the bicyclist with his car and fled because he was afraid.

For all that, Hairl, who lives on the 600 block of Lacy Ave., received 24 months' felony probation and 154 days in prison in exchange, with credit for 77 days already served, for his guilty plea to possession of cannabis with intent to deliver and failure to report an accident involving an injury.

"It's like something went haywire with you" said Cook County Judge Thomas Fecarotta upon imposing the sentence. "All of a sudden, there's all kinds of problems. You made some pretty stupid mistakes,"

Hairl quietly agreed.

"How do you like Cook County jail?" inquired the judge. "Not a fun place."

Fecarotta acknowledged Hairl's age and his attorney's efforts to keep the teenager out of prison. At the same time, the judge assured Hairl he would send him to prison regardless of his age, if he violates his probation in any way.

"That's not something I want to do," Fecarotta said.