Geneva couple sues St. Charles man charged with causing crash

A couple has sued an 81-year-old St. Charles man who was previously charged with purposefully driving on the wrong side of the road and causing a severe crash in Geneva last August.

George E. Smith, of the 1000 block of North Fifth Avenue, faces charges of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon as a result of the Aug. 6 crash.

Smith is being held at the county jail on $50,000 bail and is due in court May 12.

He faces up to five years in prison if convicted, but probation also is an option.

Authorities have said Smith told police he was trying to kill himself and “hurt someone else in the process” and admitted to swerving his car and striking an oncoming vehicle at about 6 p.m. Aug. 6 in the 1800 block of West State Street.

Mark O. Rein and his wife, Jane, sued Smith earlier this year in Cook County court. The case was moved to Kane County this month and an initial hearing is set for July 7.

The crash left Smith with a broken arm and the other driver, Mark Rein, 46, of Geneva, with a broken hip, head trauma and bleeding on the brain.

In the lawsuit, the Reins accuse Smith of negligence and willful and wanton conduct and seek damages of more than $50,000.

“Smith acted with a conscious disregard or utter indifference for the safety and well-being of Mark O. Rein,” the suit states.

Timothy Cavanaugh, an attorney representing the Reins, could not immediately be reached for comment.