Man charged in Aurora drag racing crash that injured teen girl, killed her father

AURORA, Ill. -- A 20-year-old man was charged with reckless homicide Tuesday for a drag racing crash that left a man dead and his 15-year-old daughter injured late last year in west suburban Aurora.

Jeffery A. Bledsoe of the 25000 block of Pastoral Drive in Plainfield is charged with nine counts of reckless homicide, two counts of aggravated street racing, one count of aggravated speeding and one count of reckless driving, according to the Will County state's attorney's office.

Charles D. Siebel Jr., 49, was driving his 2004 Toyota Highlander eastbound on Shenandoah Drive about 10:15 p.m. Dec. 4 when he stopped at a stop sign at Eola Road, police said.

He then tried to turn northbound onto Eola when Toyota was struck by a 2011 Dodge Charger that was speeding southbound on Eola, police said.

The driver of the Charger, a 16-year-old, was drag-racing at "extremely high rates of speed" against Bledsoe, who was driving a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix, authorities said.

The Grand Prix was just south of the other two vehicles when they crashed, and ended up hitting the center median before ending up in the northbound lanes.

Siebel and his 15-year-old daughter were extricated from their SUV, police said. He was taken to Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, where he died at 3 a.m. Dec. 11, police said. His daughter was treated for serious injuries, but was later released.

Bledsoe was initially charged with "a series of traffic violations," but the additional charges were filed after authorities finished investigating, a statement from prosecutors said.

Each count of reckless homicide alleges a specific reckless act, such street racing, speeding or failing to drive in a single lane, according to prosecutors.

Bledsoe faces up to five years in prison for each reckless homicide charge and 12 years for each aggravated street racing charge. He is next scheduled to appear in court March 23.

The 16-yar-old boy is facing one count of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated street racing. He is scheduled to appear in Will County Juvenile Court on April 22.

Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2016.)