Late Thursday, Naperville police issued Kenneth Holmberg, 74, of Plainfield two traffic citations related to the Sunday death of Naperville resident Emily Driscoll and her dog.
Driscoll, along with her rescued greyhound dog, Quincy, was killed while crossing the intersection of Rickert Drive and Book Road.
According to Sgt. William Davis with the Naperville Police Department’s traffic unit, Holmberg was charged with disobeying a traffic control signal (red light) and failure to exercise due care.
No arrest was made in the case. Based on the investigation there is no evidence that shows that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Davis said. There also is no evidence to indicate the accident was a reckless homicide, he added.
A court date has yet to be determined, Davis added, but it should take place within the next 30 to 45 days. Within the next 10 to 14 days, a court date will be determined, and Holmberg must appear in court, he said.
Paul Darrah, a spokesman with the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office, said his office is not involved with the case. “We would only become involved if the charges would rise to the felony level,” he added.
The attorney for the family of Emily Driscoll, G. Grant Dixon III, said that while the citations are appropriate, “this accident was not a close call,” and he hopes to see more serious charges brought forth by the state’s attorney’s office. “These traffic citations are the first steps in the process.”
“While he certainly failed to obey a red light and also failed to exercise due care,” Dixon III said, “this man was reckless.”
This is a dangerous intersection, he added. “Until serious charges are made, more people are going to die at that intersection.”
An initial investigation conducted by the Driscoll family’s attorney, and confirmed by a Naperville Police Department media release, reported that Driscoll was struck about 8:15 p.m. by a Maroon 2001 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Holmberg.
She was taken to Edward Hospital in Naperville where she died of her injuries.
On Thursday, “hundreds and hundreds” of people attended services held on behalf of Emily at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home, Dixon III said. “The outpouring of support shows how much Emily was loved in the community.”
“The services were a celebration of who Emily was,” she said. “She was a very special lady.”