A lawsuit alleges a driver, who was traveling nearly 100 mph, made homicidal and suicidal statements prior to crashing into a house in Crystal Lake, leaving a resident critically injured.
The lawsuit was filed against Connor C. Kirkpatrick, 28, of Lakewood, and brought by Angelo Pleotis, 65, of Crystal Lake.
Kirkpatrick has been charged with criminal damage to property over $100,000, aggravated reckless driving causing bodily harm and reckless conduct causing great bodily harm.
The charges stem from a crash involving a car and a house in the 100 block of South Heather Drive in Crystal Lake around 7 p.m. on July 27.
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Rick Neumann said at the time that an SUV was traveling eastbound on Ballard Road.
The SUV, for unknown reasons, continued through the intersection of Briarwood Road and left the roadway, Neumann said.
The vehicle, which was traveling at 96 mph according to prosecutors, struck a detached garage and residence.
Kirkpatrick, who was the driver of the vehicle, was trapped and had to be extricated from the vehicle by firefighters.
Neumann said Kirkpatrick was subsequently flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with life-threatening injuries.
Pleotis, who lives at the residence, was also trapped and had to be freed from the wreckage.
Pleotis was in the shower when the vehicle hit his house. He was also flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center.
Pleotis suffered collapsed lungs, broken ribs, head trauma, lacerations and two spinal fracture dislocations, which caused paralysis.
The lawsuit was filed against Kirkpatrick in August and remains ongoing.
A newly-filed motion in the lawsuit seeks to convert Connor Kirkpatrick’s father, Charles Kirkpatrick, to a defendant from a respondent due to allegations of “negligent entrustment.”
The motion said the father knew of his son’s prior car crashes, prior mental health issues and prior head injuries.
The motion also said the father knew his son needed to see a mental health professional prior to the Crystal Lake crash because his “communication was delayed” and the son was “losing track of time.”
Pleotis’ attorneys said that Charles Kirkpatrick knew prior to the crash that his son had made statements that “someone had taken over his (Defendant’s) body and that everybody has to die.”
The attorneys said the father discussed it with the mother and the police were notified on June 4, 2022.
The father also knew of suicidal statements previously made by his son, the motion alleges.
“Each of the foregoing admissions by the Respondent is evidence that he knew of Defendant Connor Kirkpatrick’s incompetence to operate a motor vehicle. Each of the foregoing admissions by the Respondent is also evidence that he knew or should have known that Defendant Connor Kirkpatrick would operate the motor vehicle, provided by the Respondent, recklessly. In both forms, Respondent knew or should have known that Defendant Connor Kirkpatrick was likely to operate a motor vehicle in a manner involving an unreasonable risk of harm to others,” the motion said.
Connor Kirkpatrick’s criminal case remains active and a trial date has not been set yet.
Kirkpatrick was additionally charged last month in connection with an arson fire at his father’s home in Lakewood, which caused $250,000 in damage, while he was out on bond for the crash.
Kirkpatrick is being held without bond at the McHenry County Jail.