Deaths Of Father, Son, Both Ironworkers Local 444, Leads To Charges

JOLIET, IL — The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has filed felony reckless homicide charges against Dale Guttendorf of Kankakee in connection with the March 7 fatal wreck near Braidwood that killed a father and son who were members of the Joliet-based Local 444 Ironworkers union.

In March, Patch reported that the driver of a pickup truck, Andy Adams, 47, died at the scene and his 30-year-old son, Andrew, died several hours later at a Kankakee hospital.

The father and son were in Andy Adams' 1999 silver Chevrolet S10 driving on Route 113 at 5:10 a.m. on a Tuesday when a 21-year-old motorist, also from Kankakee, entered their northbound lane, crashing into their truck, causing both vehicles to erupt in flames, near Braidwood.

According to Thursday's criminal complaint, "Guttendorf was driving a Toyota sedan in an eastbound and slightly southbound direction on Illinois Route 113 near Irish Lane in Custer Township ... and did not maintain his lane of travel, and he left his lane of travel to pass a semi-truck in a No Passing Zone, and he drove across the solid no passing line and into the westbound and slightly northbound side of Route 113, causing his motor vehicle to strike a motor vehicle being driven by Andrew J. Adams, a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck."

The reckless homicide charges state that Guttendorf caused the death of both Andrew J. Adams and Andrew D. Adams.

In addition to the two reckless homicide charges, Guttendorf is charged with the crime of improper lane usage. The criminal investigation resulting in the three charges was led by the Illinois State Police.

Guttendorf has not been booked into the Will County Jail yet. Will County Judge Dave Carlson has issued a warrant for his arrest and set the bail at $100,000.

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

GoFundMe: Father, Son, Both Ironworkers Local 444, Killed In Crash