SJ0040 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0040 LRB097 14707 HEP 59683 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Interstate 64 is a major thoroughfare in the United States interstate system of roads which, in part, connects rural Southern Illinois with St. Louis, Missouri; and

WHEREAS, On November 23, 2007, the day after Thanksgiving, Jessica and Kelli Uhl were traveling home from visiting with their father and stepmother; while traveling on Interstate 64 in heavy traffic, the girls were struck by an oncoming Illinois State Police vehicle that was traveling at an estimated speed of 126 miles per hour; and

WHEREAS, The trooper operating the vehicle at this high rate of speed was reportedly using his onboard computer and cellular phone when he crossed the median and struck the girls' car; and

WHEREAS, Both 18 year old Jessica and 13 year old Kelli were killed in the crash; a pregnant woman and her husband in another vehicle were also struck and sustained injuries; and

WHEREAS, The State trooper was convicted of 2 felony counts of reckless homicide in the deaths of Jessica and Kelli, and 2 felony counts of aggravated reckless driving resulting from the injuries to the other couple involved in the accident; as a result of the felony convictions he was forced to resign from his position as a State trooper and had his driver's license revoked for 24 months; and

WHEREAS, The girls' mother, Kim Schlau, has left her career to focus on promoting awareness of the dangers of distracted driving and now works with recruit classes and police organizations around the country; her goal is to offer a personal account of the repercussions and dangers of negligent pursuit driving in an effort to educate officers and first responders, and prevent these tragedies from happening to other families; and

WHEREAS, Since the accident, the Illinois State Police have limited the use of personal cellular telephones by on-duty troopers and have implemented a four-tier system specifying how fast troopers may travel while responding to emergency calls; and

WHEREAS, A memorial has been placed on Highway 158 in honor of Jessica and Kelli under the fatal accident memorial marker program; the memorial contains Jessica and Kelli's names and admonishes drivers that "Reckless Driving Costs Lives"; however, the sign is not visible from Interstate 64 and will be removed in 2 years unless legislation is passed to make the memorials permanent; and

WHEREAS, It is fitting that this body join in honoring the memory of Jessica and Kelli Uhl and in promoting awareness of the dangers of reckless driving; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the section of Interstate 64 between Exit 19A at Illinois Route 158 and Exit 23 at Illinois Route 4 be renamed the Jessica and Kelli Uhl Memorial Highway; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name of the Jessica and Kelli Uhl Memorial Highway; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation and to the family of Jessica and Kelli Uhl.