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Jury
rules Atlanta teen's death an accident
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[SEPT.
12, 2006]
The coroner's jury that convened on Monday evening
determined that the single-vehicle crash that led to the death of
Mark A. Potter, Atlanta, was an accident.
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Potter was the single occupant in his vehicle driving into Lincoln
at 10:38 a.m. on Aug. 5. His vehicle left the roadway and crashed
into the bridge abutment at Exit 133, north of Lincoln.
Providing testimony were Deputy Coroner Warren Rogers, Illinois
State Police reconstructionist Jarod Ingebritsen and Potter's
mother, Lori Snow.
Potter worked for McLean Township under the supervision of his
father. He stopped to see his mother in McLean every day before and
after work. That day he told her that he thought he had the flu. He
later left work saying he was going into Lincoln to the hospital.
He'd been lightheaded and had vomiting and diarrhea. The crash
occurred 25 minutes later.
The jury panel was asked to assess evidences and consider three
options: 1. Did he pass out? 2. Did he fall asleep from illness? 3.
Did he mean to run into the pier?
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 Two witnesses said that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate
of speed when the car veered off the road and they did not see any
evasive action.
The Illinois State Police report confirmed no evidence of
braking, nor did the tire tracks swerve. However, at 55 mph or more
the vehicle would have taken only two to three seconds after leaving
the road to hit the abutment -- not enough time for someone waking
to react.
The autopsy supported the cause of death as blunt force trauma to
the body by a motor vehicle accident. There were no abnormalities in
the body. Toxicology results showed no alcohol or drugs other than
nicotine from smoking.
The jury's finding for accidental manner of death was unanimous.
[Jan
Youngquist]
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