Southern Illinois man’s drunken drag racing led to fatal crash, prosecutor says
%20(1).jpg "An 81-year-old Belleville woman died after a “piece of metal” flew through her windshield on Interstate 64 in St. Louis.")
A Southern Illinois man was charged with first-degree murder after an alleged drag racing while under the influence of alcohol turned deadly.
Justin M. Bullard, 21, of Luka in rural Marion County was charged with additional felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence, reckless homicide, and aggravated street racing. Derrik P. Coomer, 27, of Salem, was charged with aggravated reckless driving for his alleged role in the drag race.
According to Illinois State Police, a two-vehicle crash was reported at about 9:07 p.m. on May 4. Bullard, state police alleges, was racing eastbound on U.S. 50 near Hotze Road in Marion County when he disregarded a red light and struck another vehicle turning left through the intersection.
The driver of the second vehicle, Nita Mobley, 66, of Salem was pronounced deceased on scene. Her car burst into flames after the collision, state police said.
Bullard and a passenger were seriously injured and airlifted to a St. Louis hospital, according to WSEI-FM radio in Olney.
“After a thorough and extensive investigation, including reviewing hours of surveillance footage, ISP DCI determined that Bullard had been driving under the influence of alcohol and at excessive speeds while racing another car, driven by Coomer, just prior to the crash,” according to a state police release.
Bullard and Coomer were incarcerated at the Marion County Jail. Bullard is being held on a $1 million bond; Coomer is being held on a $250,000.
This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 3:39 PM.