Driver who struck, killed Mount Prospect cyclist fined
The SUV driver who struck and killed cyclist Joni Beaudry in Mount Prospect pleaded guilty to three traffic violations in court Friday and will have to pay $364 in fines and court costs.
Hanna Burzynska, 56, of Elk Grove Village, will also lose her license for a length of time to be determined by the Illinois Secretary of State, according to Mount Prospect village attorney Lance Malina.
Eric Jakubowski, Beaudry's widower, read a long and impassioned letter in court condemning Burzynska for her actions on June 9 and said that the punishment against her is not enough.
"Given the senseless and careless act that took a beautiful mother away from her family, we firmly believe that a criminal penalty is appropriate," Jakubowski said, "if only as a small gesture of understanding for the pain and devastation caused by this act."
Beaudry, a 55-year-old mother of five, died while riding her bicycle toward Melas Park using the crosswalk at Central Road and Weller Lane. According to police reports, she activated yellow warning beacons and waited for three eastbound vehicles to stop before riding across. As she reached the eastbound median lane, she was struck by a Lexus SUV driven by Burzynska.
Although police placed most of the blame on Burzynska, the investigation found Beaudry's actions "to be a contributing factor to the collision," adding that state traffic law requires pedestrians to enter the roadway "only when safe to do so and not to enter a roadway when another vehicle is so close as to constitute a danger."
Beaudry's death has raised questions about crosswalk safety that have been discussed at Mount Prospect village board meetings and by state officials.
Malina said police issued Burzynska four traffic citations. Burzynska plead guilty to failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk, to driving too fast for conditions and for improper passing of a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. The fourth citation, for driving in violation of condition of license because she wasn't wearing her glasses, was dismissed.
Burzynska's sentence was delivered in traffic court Friday morning at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.