Driver sentenced in wrong-way crash that killed couple celebrating their anniversary
The New Athens man who caused a wrong-way crash that killed a Belleville couple out celebrating their anniversary two years ago has been sentenced to prison.
Circuit Judge Zina Cruse told Kevin G. Helfrich, 55, on Monday that he must serve 18 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, a news release from the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office stated. At the sentencing hearing, Cruse said there were no extraordinary circumstances that would warrant probation for Helfrich. She did allow a furlough in sentence for amonth, due to medical complications related to the accident.
Helfrich pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated DUI and two counts of reckless homicide on Jan. 23 in connection with the deaths of 37-year-old John Bannister and 36-year-old Daryl Harton.
The men were driving back from celebrating their anniversary on July 8, 2017, when Helfrich’s truck crashed head-on into their car on Illinois 15 in Belleville. According to the release, Helfrich’s blood alcohol level was three times the legal limit at the time of the accident.
In a search warrant released in October 2017, investigators stated they found cold cans of Stag beer and prescription pill bottles in Helfrich’s truck after the crash. The incident was the fifth time Helfrich had been charged with drunken driving in St. Clair County. Errors on a police report from a previous crash had allowed Helfrich to retain his license at the time of the double-fatal crash.
Helfrich has a pending hearing for another DUI charge from Centreville, set for Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published March 25, 2019 at 6:22 PM.
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