April 29, 2024
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Lawsuit filed against Braidwood Mayor Robert Jones over 2019 crash

Woman claimed she was hit by mayor in the 3-vehicle crash

By Felix Sarver
Braidwood Mayor Robert Jones was sentenced to eight days in jail and two years of conditional discharge Friday after he pleaded guilty to driving under of the influence and driving an uninsured motor vehicle.

Braidwood Mayor Robert Jones was sentenced to eight days in jail and two years of conditional discharge Friday after he pleaded guilty to driving under of the influence and driving an uninsured motor vehicle.

A lawsuit has been filed against Braidwood Mayor Robert Jones over a 2019 car crash that led to his second conviction of driving under in the influence in Will County.

The lawsuit filed by Haileigh Walstra on Aug. 5 accused Jones of rear-ending her vehicle and failing to properly drive his vehicle in the crash that occurred on Nov. 24, 2019 on Route 53, just north of Coal City.

“Walstra suffered injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature, but not limited to, severe pain and suffering, loss of normal life and medical expenses,” according to her lawsuit.

Jones did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a call seeking comment.

Robert Jones

Robert Jones (Will County Sheriff's Office)

The 2019 crash led to Jones’ arrest by Illinois State Police.

In March 2020, Jones pleaded guilty to DUI and driving an uninsured vehicle. Prosecutors dropped charges of failure to reduce speed and following too closely.

Jones previously pleaded guilty to DUI in Will County in 2008.

On Sept. 4, Judge Kenneth Zelazo sentenced Jones to serve eight days in jail and allowed him to receive day-for-day credit, which meant his actual jail time would only be four days.

Zelazo also ordered Jones to pay about $4,499 in restitution to Walstra and Joshua Watson, the other drivers involved in the crash.

Jones didn’t serve his jail sentence until April 19 because of COVID-19 concerns that were raised by his attorney Eugene Fimbianti. Jones was released from jail on April 22.

Walstra was identified in Illinois State Police reports as the driver of a Chevrolet Cruze who was struck by Jones’ Chevrolet Tahoe.

Walstra told a state trooper that she was behind a Chevrolet S10 pickup at the intersection of Route 53 and Coal City Road when she was rear-ended by Jones’ car, which caused her to rear-end the truck in front of her, according to police reports.

Watson was the driver of the Chevrolet S10.

Walstra was treated at a Kankakee hospital for a concussion, police reports said.

Jones has paid $1,600 out of the $6,962 he owes in fines and fees over the DUI case, court records show. He has not yet paid the restitution he owes to Walstra and Watson as of Tuesday.