Prosecutors in Peoria County have filed an additional aggravated DUI charge against a DeKalb County woman accused of hitting and killing a Peoria woman with a vehicle in March.
Savanna M. L. Shriber, 27, of Shabbona, was charged with a second count of aggravated DUI for allegedly having cocaine in her system at the time of a fatal crash on March 19 at the intersection of Knoxville Avenue and East Orchard Place that caused the death of 66-year-old Deana Viano.
According to the charge, Shriber is accused of having cocaine in her system at the time of the accident. She had previously been charged in April with aggravated DUI for allegedly having alcohol in her system at the time of the crash. Police documents indicate that her blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was .116, above the legal limit of .08.
Peoria police responded to the scene at 6:53 p.m. on March 19 in response to a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle. When officers arrived on scene, they found Viano down on the ground as a citizen was attempting life-saving measures. Emergency personnel attempted to treat her, but Viano was eventually pronounced dead at the scene.
The Peoria County Coroner’s Office said that Viano likely died instantly from multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the crash.
Shriber remained on scene for several hours as police investigated. The Journal Star obtained video footage from inside the squad car where Shriber sat during the investigation, showing her distraught as she realized the extent of what happened. She was eventually removed from the car in order to conduct tests which eventually led to her arrest.
Arraignment in the case is set for Friday at 1 p.m., with Peoria County Circuit Judge Suzanne Patton presiding over the proceedings.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: New count of aggravated DUI filed against driver accused of killing Peoria pedestrian
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
