What's behind the surge in deadly crashes involving drugged drivers

Illinois has a drugged driving problem, and it began well before the legalization of recreational marijuana in 2020.

That's among the key findings of a new analysis of the state's crash statistics and a driver survey conducted by AAA - The Auto Club Group.

According to the data, the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for drugs grew from 235 in 2013 to 418 in 2021, a 78% hike. The increase is even greater for cannabinoids such as marijuana - 96 to 203, a 111% leap - but there also have been more drivers testing positive for both prescription and illegal narcotics after deadly crashes.

Experts attribute the increase to a number of causes, from easier access to recreational drugs to a lack of driver education about the effects of drugs on their abilities behind the wheel.

"People have a misconception that (marijuana) is safer than drinking for driving because the effect feels different," said Nick Jarmusz, AAA's director of public affairs. "Most people have some sense of what it takes to get them to .08 (the legal blood alcohol limit for driving) with drinking, but there isn't that with cannabis because people metastasize it in such different ways. Because of that, we encourage people not to get behind the wheel if they've been using at all."

Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Ari Briskman, who last month was named the state's law enforcement top drug recognition expert, adds, "It doesn't matter if it's legal or illegal - if it makes you feel different, you will drive different."

Police staffing shortfalls may also be playing a role. Briskman notes that when police ranks shrink - and many departments nationwide are grappling with officer shortages - traffic safety is among the areas that suffer.

"Officers are busy responding to emergencies and calls for service, and don't have the time it takes to do proper traffic enforcement," he said.

Survey says

It's not just the crash stats giving law enforcement and safety advocates pause. A AAA survey of 300 drivers conducted this summer also raises some red flags. Among the findings:

• 41% have never spoken with a health care provider about whether their prescription medicines could make driving unsafe.

• 46% of those who use cannabis admit to having driven within two hours of consumption - and 19% do it almost daily.

• Among those who use cannabis, 56% believe it has no effect on their driving performance, and may even improve it.

• While 91% say they are somewhat or very concerned about alcohol-impaired driving, only 77% say the same about marijuana.

A final thought

Jarmusz said the Illinois crash data is not unique. States across the country are seeing similar increases in fatal crashes involving a drug-intoxicated driver, and it's happening both in places that have legalized recreational marijuana and those where it remains outlawed.

No break for Palatine killer

A former Palatine resident convicted of killing his elderly neighbor because he didn't like the look he gave him won't be getting another break on his prison sentence, an appeals court decided last week.

Melvin Paige was asking the court to reduce his 40-year term - which already had been lowered from 50 - arguing that it is excessive and the Cook County judge who ordered it didn't properly account for his young age and troubled upbringing.

Paige was just 16 years old in August 1999 when he broke into the Wilmette Road condominium of 78-year-old Emil Mennes and stabbed him to death.

Paige would later tell investigators that he killed Mennes - whose son, Thomas, was among the victims of the 1993 Brown's Chicken murders - because the older man gave him a "grimace or smirk" earlier that day. Authorities later said Mennes had previously suffered a stroke, which likely explained his facial expression.

Now 40 years old and at least 15½ years from parole, Paige argued in an appeal that his 40-year sentence is still too long and the sentencing judge "egregiously downplayed" his dysfunctional family environment and discounted his potential for rehabilitation.

The appellate court disagreed.

"Although the court did not impose the minimum, it significantly reduced defendant's sentence from 50 to 40 years in light of the mitigation evidence," Justice Debra B. Walker wrote in the unanimous ruling. "Moreover, while the court commended defendant's efforts at rehabilitation, it also determined that he 'carried out a forceful, violent murderous reaction to a misperceived facial expression caused by Mr. Mennes' stroke,' and the offense 'involved forethought, premeditation, (and) planning.'"

ISP trailblazer

Congrats to Rebecca Hooks, who this week became the first woman promoted to the rank of first deputy director of the Illinois State Police in the agency's 101-year history.

The promotion makes Hooks second in command to ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly.

A Belvidere native, Hooks has served 21 years with the state police, rising from her first assignment as a patrol trooper in the Chicago area. She spent a decade in the Crime Scene Services Command, where she obtained the rank of captain, and in 2021 was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Among her specialties have been bloodstain analysis and crime scene investigation, subjects she's taught fellow law enforcement officers across the country and internationally.

"I have had such great opportunities with ISP to pursue my passion of serving the community through police work and science, and I am honored to step into this new role," Hooks said in an announcement of her promotion.

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