The Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day made an identification of a female involved in an accident on April 18 in Decatur. 60-year-old Decatur resident Erma Graves was identified as the fatality in a two-vehicle accident that occurred at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Woodford Street just before 9:30 p.m.
In the initial investigation conducted by the Decatur Police Department, Graves was driving a Chevy Malibu east on Grand Avenue. A Mercury Grand Marquis was driving south on Woodford Street when it failed to stop at a stop sign. The Mercury then collided with the Chevy.
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The driver of the Mercury, identified as 20-year-old Dylan Bunch, was found to have been driving under the influence of cannabis at the time of the accident. The police took him into custody after he received treatment for injuries as a result of the accident.
The Decatur Fire Department had to extract Graves from her vehicle after the accident. Decatur Ambulance Service initiated patient care on the way to the hospital. Graves was pronounced dead in the emergency room of the hospital at 10:05 p.m.
The coroner stated that Graves suffered from massive internal trauma to her torso, to which she died as a result.
At this time, Bunch is being held with preliminary charges of aggravated driving under the influence causing death. If convicted, Bunch could be facing a prison sentence of three to 30 years in an Illinois prison for the DUI accident that caused the death of Graves.
The investigation into the accident is ongoing.
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