i know this girl that got hit i cany get a hold of her but i hope she is o,k i think it was smart for her to walk but she should have walked in the ditch or something. Dont they have a Safe Ride Program out there? if anyone has her number please give it to me would be appeciated. I feel sorry for the guy to he seems like a nice cosiderate guy so god bless them all!

This story reminds me of the old joke about the truck driver who always liked to swerve to hit lawyers who jogged along a particular stretch of road that was on his regular route. One day he gave a ride to a Catholic priest who happened to have had his car break down and was waiting for a ride into town.
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As they were going down the road, the driver spotted a lawyer jogging up ahead and unconsciously maneuvered his truck to clip the lawyer with his fender. At the last second, he remembered who was in the cab with him and yanked the steering wheel hard to the left, causing his tires to squeal loudly as he centered the truck back into the lane of traffic.
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Nervously, he apologized to the priest "Sorry Father, I almost hit that lawyer back there."
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"Not to worry, my son," replied the priest, "I got him with the passenger door!"

Gazette--> Yes there is. It would be named after our Family, and the original Knilans Farm is there, with the old vet clinic, etc.

It happend down towards the airport road entrance, by the curve in the highway. She was walking from "Happy Hollow Bar" and excuse me if I did get the name wrong as I do NOT know the bar's name.

He is still upset about it tonight. He WILL carry this on his shoulders for to long. I know the kid, and he takes anything to heart, because he is a kind, caring soul.

I do hope the girl recovers, but maybe she will learn a lesson. She's very luck that she didn't get killed walking down the center of the two lanes!

Isn't there a Knilians Road right where this happened?

hOrselvngrl..i agree with you 100%. he has bent over backwards to help me and my boyfriend whenever hes not stuck at work that is..he called my boyfriend right after it happended too and he tried to get him as calmed down as possible, im glad that she is ok, but you know he will carry this on his shoulders for a while, because of how caring of a person he is.

Gazette--> Richard is a good kid, so I can see where people would type only good things about him. He has helped SO many people out in so many different ways. He would give the shirt of his back if needed. He's a great kid, who doesn't deserve ignorant people tying immature, stupid comments about him. He was scared ****less when it happend and in tears, crying hysterically, he even called the hospital to see how she was doing several times.......he feels horrible!

hOrslvngrl, I only suggested SHARED culpability. Such a thing is possible. I have been impressed with the statements made on your brother's behalf. I even suggested that my post to localboy..... be deleted but the gazette chose not to. (Though, localboy.......'s comment could have been a little more polite.)

Gazettefan--> He was NOT held culpable for the accident at all! I would love for you to be in his position right now. The area in which the accident occured is VERY DARK, no lights, etc. WTF was she doing out in the middle of a highway?!! If he were held "culpable" he would have been ticketed, but instead, she was.

localboy......., you ignorant jerk, my comment was reasonable.

I am only going to say that this.........

Richard did what he could do to go from 55mph to a dead stop, trying to avoid hitting her. She was dressed in all black, walking DOWN THE CENTER OF TWO LANES!!!!! He slammed on the brakes, swerved to miss her, and called 911 right away! He even called 911 before anyone else, which was the right thing to do. I think I got a total of 10 calls from him within a matter of minutes, as he is MY LITTLE BROTHER. Now if he were at fault I would NOT take his side, but he was not at fault. The woman was drunk, walking down the middle of the highway, in a very dark area where it's hard to see anything!

Richard feels beyond horrible, is very upset, shook up, and feels just terrible. WTF was she doing walking down the center of the two lanes in the first place?!? Richard did all he could do to stop.....

Officer Johnson keeps telling Richard it is not his fault, and he's taking this pretty hard, so grow up people. It was an accident, and stupid mistake on the girls part as well as her "boyfriend" who was supposed to be "watching" her that night.

frusion...how was that comment hilarious? all im saying is maybe the person who took her to the bar and got mad and ditched her there should be the one getting all the negitive comments wrote about them, not richard. he did what he could do at 55mph to try to avoid her, it could have been someone else that was drunk and then you could have blamed the driver. at least she is alive and not paralized for the rest of her life all because he did see her in enough time to try to avoid her, even with her being in all black and walking on a dark road.

SwissChick- thank you thank you thank you! Every time I sit down and read the comments, I am amazed at the illiteracy in this town.

Well, blog pages are not necessarily known for bringing out the intelligence in people.

Are you freakin' serious people???? Blame the driver for not having his vehicle under control???? That has to be the dumbest comment i have read all year!

Has anyone heard the result of the accident on Milton Ave right after this one? The drunk driver who was driving down the wrong way on Milton Ave and hit a car head on?

the only person at fault here is the girl,that was walking in the middle of the road!this young lady made the choice to drink.she could have been killed.if this young man was drunk youd be crucifying him worse,than he is.why is it his fault?because the pedestrian always has the right away,doesnt always mean their right,this man should not get a ticket or be held accountable for someone elses actions or decisions,but im sure they found away to make him responsible for her being drunk.

schindler04... blame the boy friend? Jeepers, some of the comments on here are hilarious!

I have known Richard for years-he is a very compassionate guy and this will weigh on him for a long time. He is so not guilty, that girl should have called for a ride. He is a very good driver and should not be blamed. He belonged on the road, she did NOT!!!!!

gazettefan - now you have the rest of the story. Your comment was stupid.

MCS no lights out there at all refers to street lights. Of course Richard had his lights on he is a very responsible driver. Not only was the woman walking down the center of the road drunk and swaying all over she was walking with traffic completly dressed in black real, real smart. Before saying anything maybe you should come out here and see just how pitch black it is at 10 pm.

have any of you thought to maybe blame the boyfriend for leaving her there at the bar and giving her the chance to make a wrong decision? i have road with richard many times he is a very deffense driver. and how many of you saying that he should be at fault have stopped or tried to manuver a truck with a trailer fastly around something in the road after going around a curve on a dark road? try it then play the blame game. richard was at least responsible enough to stop and call 911, instead of hitting her and running like most ppl would have. she could have called a friend or family member, or a cab. she was the one to make the decision she made and richard shouldnt have to deal with ppl thinking he should be to blame, for this accident. keep your head up richard your friends are here for you. i also hope that and pray for the girl to heal quickly and our prayers are with them both.

"I agree with gazettefan there is no reason the driver should not be to blame also." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I hope you are never as unfortunate as this man and are part of an accident NOT CAUSED by you and despite you greatest efforts to avoid anyone getting hurt the other person does and you have people with nothing better to do than point fingers. Ever hit a deer? Perhaps people that have deer run in their path should be ticketed as well. How about leave the blame on the poor judgement of an intoxicated person walking on the highway at night?

I agree with gazettefan there is no reason the driver should not be to blame also. Yes, she should not have been there but he should have had his vehicle under control. I'm just glad the poor girl is okay. As for the driver..no sympathy

Now why wasn't he driving with no lights at all!!!???>>>LOL

I happen to know the young man and he was going the speed limit on a very dark major highway with no lights at all. The young woman was not only extremly drunk but was walking down the center of the drivers 2 lanes not on the side of the road but in the middle. He had a large trailer with a loader on the back of his truck he swerved to miss her but unfortunatly caught her with his extended mirror she is very lucky to be alive. Drunks do not belong driving on the road or walking down the middle of the road and by the way she was walking with traffic and definitly not in a straight line with as dark as it is out here he is lucky he saw her at all.

i wasn't there so i don't know the facts, except for a couple things it is very dark in that area, he would have been going around 55 mph which is the speed limit, was she walking the right way walking facing oncoming traffic? IM sure RCSD DID A GOOD JOB and properly investigated this. THey would charge the driver if probable cause existed.

I feel for the driver.. no one should be walking in a highway at nite.. she's lucky to be alive..

I know the young man that hit her and he feels terrible for what happened but it was completely out of his hands, when you have an intoxicated person walking in the road they dont walk very strait, and the fact it was pitch black out she is lucky he is such a defensive driver she is still alive. Richard I'm on your side best of luck and hope you feel better soon.

The article states she was walking IN the road, she is lucky she didn't get hurt worse than she did!

How about staying the hell off a highway while walking at night..How stupid, if your intoxicated call a cab, or someone for a ride.

I was coming home from Rockford Friday night at about midnight and had to take evasive action because of some schmo walking along the side of 51 northbound near the airport (With the traffic) with dark clothes on. It's MUCHO dark there. I can see how this woman was hit.
Common sense people!
Walk against traffic.
Wear something light colored.
Better yet...don't get drunk and decide to take a walk along dark major highway!

So that's what is wrong with those who won't get off the road to let a 4-6 thousand pound vehicle continue down the road. I always though they were just stupid.

I agree, at least she had enough sense to walk rather than get on ANY set of wheels. Regardless, that doesn't take away the ignorance of walking along a completely dark stretch of road where there is ALOT of traffic that does 60mph or so.

Pete- stop and read what you posted. Embarrassing, isn't it?

It's odd that the driver was not held culpable too. How could he have not seen her in time to avoid hitting her? even if only with his mirror. It's not like she could have just suddenly appeared from nowhere in that location. Drivers are held more responsible for avoiding contact with pedestrians even when pedestrians are being irresponsible.

why would ur tax dollars spent for this pete It has notta to do with u it was an accident and I dont believe you were either party involved. I hope she is OK

That's too bad this happened. Although, I'm glad to see that she decided to walk wherever she was going instead of driving.

I am waiting for the comments such as, "Lock her up and throw away the key." "Bring back the death penalty." "Where were her parents."
I am sure some ignoramous will jump on the band wagon before long.