DRUG IMPAIRED DRIVER CAUSES SERIOUS AUTO ACCIDENT IN SHILOH, ILLINOIS
Witnesses state that the pickup truck was “swerving” from side to side while traveling south on Greenmount Road, in Shiloh, Illinois. Greenmount Road is a five lane road that meets Central Park Drive, another five lane road, at an intersection controlled by a stop light. The pickup truck was swerving from side to side of Greenmount Road when it was approaching the intersection. Two cars were already stopped at the red light in front of the truck while one car followed behind the truck. The car behind the truck had a suspicion that the driver was drunk or on another drug after witnessing the poor driving by the truck driver. The car driver trailing the truck witnessed a sudden burst of speed from the pickup right before he would have met the two cars in front of him. The pickup truck, still gaining speed, clobbered the rear of the car stopped at the red light. The back wheels of the pickup lifted off the ground from the force of the impact. The car hit by the truck, was forced into the car that was stopped in front of it. This second car, was pushed into the middle of the intersection. Luckily, there were no cars driving through the normally busy intersection at this time.
The car that was initially hit, no longer had a trunk. The trunk of the car had been forced through the backseat, and the back window had been shattered. The car that was pushed into the intersection, the second car hit, suffered less damage. When the Shiloh police arrived they found John Van Buskirk and the two minors in the back of his car to be injured. Van Buskirk’s knee was forced into the dash and continued to hurt. As a result, his knee would ultimately have to be operated on. All of the cars suffered varying degrees of damage.
Immediately upon getting out of his pickup truck, the man collapsed. When he got back up, police noticed that his legs were wobbly and it was difficult for him to stand. The police then gave the man driving the truck a standard field sobriety test. He failed the tests and admitted to smoking marijuana and taking prescription Xanax prior to driving his vehicle. He also stated that he had blacked out a short moment before the crash. The blackout is a probable explanation as to why the pickup truck driver sped up before meeting the stopped cars.
The lawsuit cases of John Van Buskirk and one of the minors in his car have been settled. The injury case of the other minor that was in the car is set for trial in St. Clair County, Illinois on October 26, 2015.
John Van Buskirk is a retired professional soccer player from the Bundesligas in Germany where he appeared in 273 games and scored 68 goals. Prior to his professional carrer, he won two state championships in high school at Granite City and in college he played for the #1 ranked Indiana University. After his professional career in Germany, Van Buskirk moved back to Illinois and coached college soccer at McKendree University and University of Missouri-Saint Louis. He also coached professional soccer for AC Saint Louis and coached club soccer for high school aged kids at Saint Louis Scott Gallagher- Metro.
The injured John Van Buskirk hired attorney Michael P. Glisson of Glisson Law, for assistance with his case. As a result of the accident, Mr. Van Buskirk underwent a knee surgery and sought recovery for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages available at law. Glisson Law is experienced in the field of auto accidents caused by drunk driving and impaired driving, and they will help you as well. If you or a loved one are injured in an auto accident in the states of Illinois or Missouri, just call (618) 462-1077 for your free consultation.