Elgin man gets 8 years for DUI crash that injured 6

An Elgin man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in a DUI crash that injured six people on a snowy Christmas Eve morning.

Prosecutors said James M. Palmer, 38, had a blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal threshold when his Toyota pickup collided with a Hyundai Sonata about 9:15 a.m. Dec. 24, 2008.

The crash on Route 20 in northern Plato Township sent seven people, including Palmer, to the hospital. Authorities said six of the victims had to be extricated from the Sonata, including two who suffered broken bones and one who was left with permanent injuries, after Palmer's vehicle swerved into eastbound lanes and struck the oncoming car.

“It was a bad crash. It didn't need to happen,” Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Greg Walker said.

Walker said Palmer told responding deputies he had been drinking alcohol until 1 a.m. that day, then had a shot of vodka around 4 a.m. Palmer later registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.270; the legal threshold in Illinois is 0.08.

Palmer, of the 900 block of Cookane Avenue, pleaded guilty Tuesday to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class 4 felony, in exchange for an eight-year sentence, according to an agreement with prosecutors. Walker said he could have faced up to 12 years in prison if convicted at trial because the crash resulted in great bodily harm to the victims.

“Eight years shows you shouldn't drink and drive and, if you do, you will be held accountable,” Walker said. “All too often we see senseless injuries as a result of people who make the decision to drink and drive.”

By law, Palmer must serve at least four years.