Hoffman Estates Community Mourning High School Sweethearts Killed in Drunk Driving Crash

An Elgin man is expected in court today after being charged in a crash that took the lives of two recent high school graduates and sweethearts over the weekend.

Per ABC 7 Chicago, “D’Shaun Tudela and his partner, Amelia Mazeikis, both 18, died in the Hoffman Estates crash near Barrington and Higgins roads Saturday morning.” Deni Rubio, age 32, is charged with reckless homicide, aggravated DUI resulting in death, and attempting to disarm a peace officer.

On Saturday morning, Mazeikis was driving Tudela to work when Rubio’s car went through a red light, colliding with Mazeikis’s car, killing both teens. ABC 7 reports the two had recently graduated Schaumburg High School and were members of a youth program at Our Saviour’s United Methodist Church in Schaumburg. The two were also high school sweethearts.

Says D’Shaun’s mother Krystal, “I hope, in my mind, that they were just holding hands and were at peace together.”

She added, “No one or nowhere is that important to run a red light and impact so many lives.”

Driving drunk kills

Drunk driving is a national epidemic, and Illinois is no exception. The Illinois 2023 DUI Fact Book reports the following startling statistics from 2021 (the most current data available):

• “330 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes, approximately 25% of the 1,334 crash fatalities.
• 21,735 DUI arrests were recorded by the Secretary of State’s office.
• 91% of all drivers arrested for DUI, who were eligible, lost their driving privileges.
• 207 drivers under age 21 lost their driving privileges due to Zero Tolerance law violations.
• 26% of those arrested for DUI were women, representing 50% of all licensed drivers.
• Males ages 25-34 had the highest DUI arrest rate (about 7 per 1,000 licensed drivers).
• 86% of all drivers arrested for DUI are first offenders.”

Per the Fact Book, an aggravated DUI with multiple deaths, like the one that claimed Mazeikis and Tudela’s lives, is a Class 2 felony, with imprisonment of six to 28 years and fines of up to $25,000. Rubio is due to appear in court on Monday, June 12.

Why is drunk driving so deadly?

Drunk driving is deadly because alcohol impairs the ability to drive safely. Alcohol affects the brain, which controls everything from vision and coordination to judgment and decision-making. When someone drinks alcohol, their brain is less able to function normally. This can lead to a number of dangerous driving behaviors, including:

• Impaired vision. Alcohol can blur vision and make it difficult to see clearly, especially at night.
• Reduced coordination. Alcohol can slow reaction time and make it difficult to control a vehicle.
• Poor judgment. Alcohol can impair judgment and decision-making, leading to risky driving behaviors such as speeding, running red lights, and making sudden lane changes.
• Increased aggression. Alcohol can increase aggression, which can lead to road rage and other dangerous driving behaviors.

Drunk driving is a serious problem that claims the lives of thousands of people each year. In 2021, 13,384 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes in the United States. That’s one person every 39 minutes. Further, this is a 14% increase from 2020 – things aren’t getting better. The NHTSA also points out, “In addition to the human toll drunk driving takes on our country, the financial impact is devastating: based on 2019 numbers, impaired-driving crashes cost the United States $68.9 billion annually.”

What you should know about filing a drunk driving lawsuit in Chicago

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of D’Shaun and Amelia. As parents ourselves, this is a nightmare come to life. No parent should have to bury a child.

We have handled drunk driving cases as well as wrongful death cases. We know that even thinking about a lawsuit when you’re still in the depth of your grief can seem an impossible task. But we also know that sometimes, the legal system is the only way to get true justice.

Our only goal for our clients is to provide some relief. Dealing with insurance companies (car and health) can be unbearable, because they’re not concerned about your loss. They’re only concerned about their profits. And how can you think about insurance when you’re still reeling from grief? So we shoulder that burden for you.

The same is true when it comes to your bills and lost wages. Even the world’s most empathic employer may not have the means to pay you while you take the necessary time to heal. And the Family Medical Leave act doesn’t apply to bereavement – only to care. If your employer agrees to hold onto your position and wait for you to come back, there’s no guarantee of income during an already painful time. So we work to ensure that you can keep your home and your lights on while the negotiations are underway.

Finally – and perhaps most importantly – we offer a way to hold the responsible party accountable. We understand that a civil lawsuit can’t bring your loved one back. It probably won’t elicit the same visceral response that a criminal conviction might. But as they say, accountability matters. And there is some relief to be found in holding people accountable when they hurt you and your loved ones. Drunk driving accidents are 100% preventable by the people who cause them, and anything that ensures the reduction of these crashes – whether it’s through the civil justice system or the criminal one – is a good first step.

At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we represent victims of drunk driving and other accidents in Chicago and the surrounding areas. We are here to help you seek justice during a tragic time. For answers to all of your questions, call us today or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.