Distracted I-80 Driver Who Hit 2 Workers Avoids Prison

JOLIET, IL — A Florida motorist who struck two workers on Interstate 80 in Joliet while looking at his cell phone in a night time construction zone on July 27, 2017 will not have to serve any additional time in custody as part of his sentence. Will County Circuit Judge Sarah Jones recently sentenced Gary D. Rollins, now 37, of Crystal River, Florida, on a misdemeanor charge of reckless conduct aggravated use of an electronic communication device, according to court records at the Will County Courthouse.

A felony charge of aggravated reckless driving, as well as a number of traffic citations, were dismissed under a plea agreement with Rollins and his lawyer, Kevin Bolger, of Chicago. In 2017, the Illinois State Police said its preliminary investigation determined that Rollins was distracted by his cell phone when he lost control of his 1996 Ford F-350 in Joliet.

According to court files, Jones sentenced Rollins on June 24 to four days of credit for time he already served in the Will County Jail in late July 2017. Jones also assessed Rollins with a total of $3,500 in court fines and Rollins was given 24 months of conditional discharge.

Joliet Patch previously reported that Rollins was looking at his cellular phone as he sped along I-80 late at night on July 27, 2017. Near Briggs Street, Rollins lost control of his Ford pickup, striking two of the workers, Ricardo Leon, and Timothy Ahern, according to court records.

In August 2017, Rollins' lawyer convinced then-judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes to let his client return to Florida, where he lived, while his criminal case was proceeding back in Will County.

For more background, read Joliet Patch's original story about the distracted driving case involving Gary Rollins.