WESTFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The driver who was ticketed for a crash that killed two people and hospitalized two more in Westfield Friday night is now facing felony charges, including reckless homicide.
The crash happened at 7 p.m. on West Lincoln Street near South Division Street. State Police previously told WCIA that around 7 p.m., a van with two people inside was heading eastbound, when it crossed the center line and hit head-on a westbound truck with four people inside. Two people in that truck — later revealed as a Westfield board member and his wife — were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The other two passengers were taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Court records show that the driver, identified by ISP as 34-year-old Edwin Pacheco-Meza of Indianapolis, Ind., was charged with the following Monday morning:
- Reckless homicide
- A Class 3 felony
- 2 counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of alcohol and drugs
- A Class 2 felony
ISP also told WCIA that they issued eight tickets to Pacheco-Meza following the crash:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs
- Not driving on the right side of the roadway
- Failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident
- No valid driver’s license
- Operating an uninsured motor vehicle
- Illegal transportation of open alcohol
- Unlawful possession of cannabis
- Possession of cannabis less than 10 grams
WCIA followed up with ISP Monday morning regarding the conditions of the other passengers hospitalized after the crash; they were unable to provide any updates.
We will continue to share additional information as we learn more.
