The Illinois State Police were called to the scene of an accident where a car caught fire. The accident happened along Illinois Route 128 near County Road 2950 North in Fayette County.
Arriving at the scene, police found a 2006 silver Chevrolet vehicle engulfed in flames. The accident took place around 2:33 in the morning.
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Reports indicate that 20-year-old Effingham resident Josh Dale Ledbetter was driving south on Illinois Route 128. He lost control of his vehicle and ended up swerving onto the gravel shoulder.
He was unable to regain control of the vehicle before going into the ditch beside the road. He then hit a culvert. His car went into the air and overturned. Upon coming to its final resting place, it caught fire.
Luckily, Ledbetter was able to extricate himself from the vehicle prior to authorities arriving. He did sustain some injuries and was transported to St. Anthony Hospital.
After being released from the hospital, he was arrested and charged with multiple citations. Among his charges are improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and alcohol-related DUI.
If this is the first DUI that Ledbetter has been charged with, upon conviction he can expect a few things to happen.
First time DUI convictions in Illinois are accompanied by up to one year of jail time. A possible fine of up to $2500. A minimum one-year license suspension.
This is a class A misdemeanor.
If the accident had caused bodily harm to another person, Ledbetter would be facing a felony charge instead of a misdemeanor.
Police are still investigating the accident. They have not determined where Ledbetter was coming from in that condition.
It is possible that if he was over-served in an establishment, the Illinois State Police will be issuing more charges in the future.