Man Gets Prison Time in DUI Crash That Killed Hainesville Chiropractor

LAKE COUNTY, IL - A 26-year-old Zion man has been sentenced to six years in prison for driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a Hainesville chiropractor who was heading back from a Pat Benatar concert she took her teenage niece to at the time of the May collision on Route 120 in Grayslake, the Lake County News-Sun reports.

Shawn Flores was found guilty in December of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with the May 13 crash that killed Malia Johnson, 54, and injured her 14-year-old niece, according to the newspaper.

Flores was driving 70 mph in a 35 mph zone when his vehicle collided head on with Johnson’s vehicle on Route 120 near Battershell Road. Attorneys said during the sentencing hearing Monday tests showed Flores had a blood alcohol content of .12 at the time of the crash, which is above the legal limit of .08, according to the Daily Herald. He also had trace amounts of a prescription medication and marijuana in his system.
Flores apologized to Johnson’s family during Monday’s hearing, according to the Lake County-News Sun.

"I know that Malia Johnson will be missed by so many people," he said. "Your whole family has been in my thoughts and prayers constantly. May the rest of your days be filled with love and happiness and healing."

Johnson’s son, Justin Gilbertson, addressed the court on Monday and said his mom had been the most important person in his life, according to the Daily Herald.

“My mom didn’t die that day, she was murdered,” he said. “She was the most unselfish person in my life. She only cared about other people.”

More via the Lake County News-Sun and the Daily Herald

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