THE FOLLOWING IS A VERMILION COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE RELEASE
People v. Deondre Smith 2022-CF-566
On May 15, 2025, Deondre Smith (DOB: 6/28/1989), formerly of Danville, Illinois pleaded guilty to Aggravated Driving Under the Influence – Death of One Person, a class 2 felony. Smith was sentenced to 8 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, to be served at 85%, followed by 2 years of mandatory supervised release. The plea and sentencing were presided over by Judge Mark Goodwin.
The People presented evidence that on October 16, 2022, Illinois State Police responded to a traffic crash in the area of Route 150 and Jones Lane in Danville. A crash reconstruction investigation determined that the victims’ vehicle was struck by a vehicle driven by the defendant, Deondre Smith. As a result of the collision, a passenger in the victims’ vehicle died from injuries sustained in the crash. Defendant Smith admitted to consuming alcohol, and subsequent testing revealed his blood alcohol content to be 0.161.
State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said, “I would like to offer my condolences to the family of the deceased victim. An innocent life has been taken because someone chose to get behind the wheel while impaired. This was a preventable tragedy caused by a dangerous act. Driving under the influence is a crime with devastating consequences, and my office will continue to fight to protect every life on our roads.”
