SYCAMORE – A Sycamore woman who was involved in a February car accident that killed two people was arrested Wednesday and charged with reckless homicide.
Patricia L. Schmidt, 46, of the 28500 block of Brickville Road, has been charged with two counts of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison, and two counts of aggravated reckless driving, a Class 4 felony punishable by up to three years in prison.
Schmidt was involved in a Feb. 21 accident that killed Timothy T. Getzelman, 21, of Sycamore, and his girlfriend, Alexis Y. Weber, 21, of Maple Park.
Weber was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Getzelman, who was traveling east on Peace Road about 5:30 p.m. Schmidt was traveling south on North Main Street and struck Getzelman's vehicle on the driver's side, according to police. Witnesses indicated Getzelman had the right of way when the accident occurred.
Getzelman and Weber died as a result of injuries suffered in the accident.
Freezing rain resulted in multiple car accidents throughout the area later that night in February, but police said at the time of the accident the pavement was still dry when it took place. Sycamore Police Lt. Darrell Johnson said at the time of the accident there did not appear to be any indication that alcohol was involved, or that Schmidt was texting while driving.
State's Attorney Clay Campbell said Wednesday that those statements continue to be true.
However, court documents allege that Schmidt drove her Ford F150 pickup, "with a willful and wanton disregard for the safety of persons."
Campbell said one of the focuses of the ongoing investigation has been Schmidt's medical condition and her medical history. While alcohol has been ruled out as a factor, Campbell said police are still investigating whether Schmidt may have had drugs in her system, either legal or illegal, at the time of the accident.
He said that enough preliminary decisions have been made to make an arrest, but investigators continue to conduct an extensive review of Schmidt's medical history. They are also awaiting the results of numerous tests being conducted by the Illinois State Police crime lab, Campbell said.
Court documents also allege Schmidt was traveling "at a speed which was greater than was reasonable and proper with regard to existing traffic conditions."
"Clearly she was traveling at a high rate of speed and clearly the light was red when she went through it," Campbell said. "We're investigating how someone could be traveling at a high rate of speed, with a red light on clear pavement, and hit another vehicle. We think we're starting to come up with the answers."
Campbell said the arrest was the result of countless hours of investigation by the Sycamore Police Department, with cooperation of Illinois State Police investigators.
The investigation is ongoing, Campbell said, and additional charged may be filed. He said more information will be released as test results are concluded. That includes the results of medical tests as well as data obtained from the scene and the vehicles involved.
At the time a warrant was issued for Schmidt, bond was set at $500,000, which means she would need to post $50,000 to be released from jail. She was arrested Wednesday and transported to the DeKalb County Jail.
She is expected to make an initial court appearance today.
