St. Charles man, 80, may face attempted murder charge

Prosecutors say additional charges might be in store for a St. Charles man accused of causing a head-on crash in an apparent suicide attempt.

George H. Smith, 80, of the 1000 block of North Fifth Avenue, was being held on $500,000 bail Friday, charged with two counts of aggravated battery.

At a bond reduction hearing, prosecutors described him as a danger to the community and said he could face more serious charges.

"There is a likelihood there will be more charges filed, namely attempted murder," Assistant Kane County State's Attorney Kelly Orland said.

Smith is accused of swerving his Saturn Vue into an oncoming vehicle Aug. 6 on the 1800 block of West State Street in Geneva. Authorities said he later told police he meant to kill himself and "hurt someone else in the process."

On Friday, Orland said the Saturn's "black box" recording shows Smith sped up to 45 mph seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes.

She said the other driver, a 46-year-old Geneva man, remained hospitalized with severe head and leg injuries.

"He does not remember why he is there or where he is," Orland said of the injured driver. "He may ultimately suffer the amputation of his foot."

The crash occurred within weeks of Smith's 92-year-old wife and her sister receiving orders of protection against him, according to court records.

The orders, which describe Smith as a gambling addict with multiple mental disorders, say he gave his wife a "double dose" of codeine as she recuperated from a fall in July, and threatened to kill his sister-in-law.

On the day of the crash, Orland said, Smith was angry because he was denied a request for $10,000 from a joint bank account, which had been frozen.

She said he chose to crash directly in front of his sister-in-law's home.

"It's the state's position that this defendant is a danger to the community," she said.

Defense attorney Sandra Parga said Smith has no prior criminal history and would live alone if released on a lower bond. Associate Judge Allen Anderson said electronic home monitoring or real-time GPS monitoring might be available. But he said he wants to review the orders of protection before making a decision Wednesday when Smith returns to court.

"It's very possible that a release on different terms is available," Anderson said.