Monitor removed from teen accused in fatal crash
By BRENDA SCHORY bschory@kcchronicle.com
ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – A Wayne teen charged in a fatal crash that killed his St. Charles East High School classmate will have his electronic monitoring device removed, a judge ruled Friday.
Circuit Judge Timothy Sheldon also granted a defense request to relieve Onofrio Lorusso, 18, of a requirement that a parent ride the athletic bus when his college hockey team travels to games. The terms of Lorusso’s bond require a parent to be with him at all times.
Lorusso pleaded not guilty to four counts of reckless homicide and 12 counts of aggravated drunken driving in connection with a June 14 crash that killed 17-year-old Cameron Godee of West Chicago – a recent St. Charles East graduate.
Prosecutors say Lorusso, also a recent grad, had a blood alcohol level of 0.227 and marijuana in his system when he drove a vehicle into a tree in the 3100 block of Royal Fox Drive in St. Charles.
A parent will continue to drive Lorusso to and from Robert Morris College in Bensenville where he attends class and plays hockey as a requirement of his athletic scholarship.
While his electronic monitoring device was removed, Lorusso will continue to have a SCRAM bracelet while out of jail on $50,000 bond. The Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor detects alcohol consumption.
Assistant State’s Attorney Nemura Pencyla argued that the state had done enough to accommodate Lorusso. He said one of Lorusso’s passengers was killed, one suffered a broken leg and a third suffered a broken jaw and head injuries.
“We’ve bended over backward for him,” Pencyla said. “We’re making it more convenient for him.”
Lorusso’s attorney Gary Johnson said his client has a presumption of innocence.
Johnson said the school has a policy against parents on the hockey bus. If one of Lorusso’s parents travels on the hockey bus to away games, including those in Iowa, Wisconsin or Indiana, other parents will also want to travel to games on the bus, he said.
Johnson said that Lorusso was under adult supervision by his parents, teachers or coaches at all times.
“He does not have two seconds alone,” Johnson said.
Sheldon said he acknowledged Pencyla’s concern, but agreed with Johnson that Lorusso was heavily monitored by adults.
Lorusso is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.
