Lemont Man Found Guilty in Road Rage Case Sentenced to 18 Years

A Lemont man found guilty for punching a man during an instance of road rage in June 2011 was sentenced Friday to 18 years in prison.

Christopher Yeoman, 41, of the 300 block of Short Street in Lemont, was convicted in February of second-degree murder in the road-rage death of Romeoville senior citizen Frank Egas, after he delivered a punch that eventually led to the man's death. He was also charged with aggravated battery to a senior citizen. 

Yeoman apologized to the victim's family during Friday's sentencing hearing before Circuit Court Judge Sarah Jones detailed his sentence, Sun-Times Media reports.

"I certainly did not think in a million years that one punch would result in this," he said. “If I can take back what I did, I certainly would."

In what Will County State's Attorney spokesman Chuck Pelkie called "a clear case of road rage," Yeoman got out of his minivan and violently punched Egas in the head at a stop light on 135th Street near Route 53 in Romeoville in June 2011.

Egas fell to the ground, while Yeoman fled the scene, with his wife at the wheel of their minivan.

Yeoman testified that he had honked his horn at Egans, who was stopped ahead of him on 135th Street. He also claimed that Egas swerved to prevent him from passing and that he punched Egas in "self-defense" after both men got out of their vehicles.

Prosecutors, however, maintained that Egas was simply standing by his vehicle and had "made no aggressive gesture" when Yeoman rushed toward him and punched him once. 

According to Pelkie, Yeoman also admitted that he was angered by Egas' driving and that he made no attempt to avoid Egas by turning his minivan onto on of several side streets or into a parking lot.

Sun-Times Media reports that Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Koch stressed the importance of setting an example of zero tolerance of road rage.

“We need to send a message to everyone,” Koch said. “(Road rage) is not tolerated here.”

Yeoman was also sentenced to five years for aggravated battery against a senior citizen, five years for aggravated battery in a public place and five years for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. Those sentences will be served concurrently with the 18-year sentence. Law requires Yeoman serve at least half of the 18 years.