Espinal-Quiroz Pleads Guilty To Reckless Homicide Charges
WELLS COUNTY, ILL. — Francisco Espinal-Quiroz, 53, 7771 N. 500W, Leesburg, has pleaded guilty to six counts of reckless homicide, class 2 felonies and to false recording of commercial driver record, a class 4 felony, in relation to a 2014 crash in Will County, Ill. All other counts have been dismissed. He was originally charged with 15 counts of reckless homicide and two counts of false recording of a commercial driver record.
His plea agreement was entered Tuesday, Nov. 15. Prosecutors reportedly have agreed to seek no more than a 15-year sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 15, 2017. He remains in the Will County Jail on a $1 million bond.
Espinal-Quiroz, then 51, was driving a semitractor-trailer on the afternoon of July 21, 2014, on Interstate 55 near Channahon, when he entered a construction zone. Traffic had reportedly slowed to 3-5 miles per hour. Espinal-Quiroz reportedly had set his cruise control and was driving 65 mph when he entered the construction zone.
His truck struck three vehicles. The occupants of a 2012 Kia Soul: Kimberly Britton, 43, Piper Britton, 11 both of Urbana were killed instantly. A third occupant, Timothy Osburn, 64, Channahon, died 16 days later in a Chicago hospital. Also killed were Ulrike Blopleh, 48, Channahon and Vicky Palacios, 54, Coal City, occupants of other vehicles struck by the semitractor-trailer. Three others were hospitalized with injuries.
Espinal-Quiroz allegedly began his workday at 2:30 a.m. picking up a load of steel at a South Bend warehouse. His log book, however, showed he started work at 6:15 a.m. He is reportedly blind in his right eye due to an injury in 1984, but had a waiver to drive a truck in Indiana.
The Honduras native and U.S. citizen had 12 traffic violations prior to the accident, including three for speeding, since 1991 in Indiana, Florida, Missouri and Texas.
A civil case, filed by the victims’ families, is pending in federal court. Steel Warehouse, the company which Espinal-Quiorox was hauling freight and Eagle Transport, the company which leased the semitrailer to Espinal-Quiroz, are also being sued. A hearing date is set for Dec. 6, on the civil case.