Man charged in fatal Springfield crash acquitted by jury

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A Florida man involved in a fatal 2015 crash in Springfield was found not guilty of aggravated driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance after his attorneys raised questions about blood testing done after the crash.

The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports that the Sangamon County this week acquitted 37-year-old Derrick E. Haggerty this week.

Haggerty was driving with 31-year-old Jamey L. Doglio of Pawnee when his car sped across the roadway and struck a tree. Doglio was killed.

Authorities contended that drugs in Haggerty's system - cocaine and a drug used to treat panic disorders - had left him impaired. But during the trial, Haggerty's attorneys questioned the validity of the drug tests, telling jurors Haggerty's blood was drawn after he'd received blood transfusions and pain killers.