Man charged with reckless homicide after mother’s death in crash

A man arrested after a car crash in Wilmington has been accused of causing his mother’s death.

William C. Brown III, 38, of Sauk Village was arrested and taken to the Will County jail Wednesday evening on charges of reckless homicide and reckless conduct in connection with a Jan. 30, 2020, fatal car crash.

A warrant was issued for Brown’s arrest March 18. The warrant carried a $250,000 bond.

Brown was charged with recklessly driving more than 20 mph above the 55 mph speed limit and passing a semitrailer in a no-passing zone, according to the criminal complaint.

Brown is accused of causing his Nissan Altima to collide with the semitrailer driven by Jose Damian, thereby causing the death of his 57-year-old mother Annette Reed. Brown also was charged with causing great bodily harm to Damian.

At the time of the crash, Brown was driving west on New River Road east of Boathouse Road in Wilmington Township, according to the criminal complaint.

Officers responded to the two-vehicle crash about 6 a.m., police said.

“Officers arrived to find a head-on crash that had taken the life of 57-year-old Annette Reed, a passenger in a vehicle being driven by her son William C. Brown III,” police said.

The crash severely injured the drivers of both vehicles, police said.

The Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Team assisted Wilmington police with determining who was at fault in the crash.