Deaths of mother, son ruled to be homicides, Pekin Daily Times, 09/18/2009
The deaths of a mother and her 4-year-old son were determined to be homicides by a Tazewell County Coroner’s jury Thursday after about 15 minutes of deliberation. Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, of 517 Vine St., Peoria, died of multiple blunt force injuries resulting from a nearly head-on crash around noon July 11 on Manito Road. Her son, Maxwell Dodd, 4, of the same address, died of blunt force injuries to the head. Rosenbohm was on her way to a play date with her son when a vehicle driven by 17-year-old Colby Maile, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, crossed the center line, forcing several cars off the road before hitting Rosenbohm’s car. Dodd was in his car seat in the back seat of the vehicle. Maile was issued several traffic tickets after the accident, which sent him and his passenger, Joseph Cherry, 19, of Manito, to the hospital with minor injuries. After toxicology tests revealed that Maile had cannabis and the prescription drug Xanax in his system at the time of the crash, he was charged on July 17 with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, a Class 2 felony — one count for each victim.

Car crash deaths ruled to be homicides, Pekin Daily Times 09/18/2009
The deaths of a mother and her 4-year-old son were determined to be homicides by a Tazewell County Coroner’s jury Thursday after about 15 minutes of deliberation. Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, of 517 Vine St., Peoria, died of multiple blunt force injuries resulting from a nearly head-on crash around noon July 11 on Manito Road. Her son, Maxwell Dodd, 4, of the same address, died of blunt force injuries to the head. Rosenbohm was on her way to a play date with her son when a vehicle driven by 17-year-old Colby Maile, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, crossed the center line, forcing several cars off the road before hitting Rosenbohm’s car. Dodd was in his car seat in the back seat of the vehicle. Maile was issued several traffic tickets after the accident, which sent him and his passenger, Joseph Cherry, 19, of Manito, to the hospital with minor injuries. After toxicology tests revealed that Maile had cannabis and the prescription drug Xanax in his system at the time of the crash, he was charged on July 17 with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, a Class 2 felony — one count for each victim. Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Chris Kempf told the coroner’s jury Thursday that Maile had no prescription for the medication. Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz said that he did not charge Maile with reckless homicide because Illinois felony law allows for a heavier sentence for an aggravated DUI than it does for reckless homicide. Umholtz could not be reached for comment on the coroner’s jury’s finding. Maile faces up to 28 years in prison if convicted.
The accident
Maile initially said he fell asleep at the wheel after staying up all night and later allegedly admitted to investigators that he had taken two Xanax pills and smoked cannabis while fishing all night prior to the collision. During an investigation into the crash, Cherry told police that he and Maile had smoked cannabis at the lake while fishing and that he saw Maile with two Xanax pills but did not see him take them. According to court records, Cherry said Maile came to him a few days after the crash and said he had taken the pills while they were at the lake. Maile told officers that he and Cherry discovered that their truck’s tire was flat when they attempted to leave the lake and that he called his mother for help. His mother arrived with his grandmother, and the tire was fixed. The grandmother then followed Maile from the lake onto Manito Road, court records said. She was behind him when the crash occurred. According to court records, the grandmother told police that, after the accident, her grandson gave her a cannabis pipe that he had used at the lake and told her to “dispose” of it. She allegedly said she threw the pipe into a corn field, court records said. According to court records, witnesses to the crash, including a Tazewell County Sheriff’s deputy, said Maile’s vehicle was all over the road before the accident and that other drivers were dodging him. According to court records, Maile was previously convicted for consumption of alcohol by a minor in 2007 and reckless conduct in 2008. He remains in custody at the Tazewell County Justice Center under a $100,000 bond.

Teen Charged in Fatal Crash, Pekin Daily Times 08/13/2009
A 17-year-old who was allegedly under the influence of drugs when involved in a fatal car accident could face up to 28 years in prison if convicted of charges filed Wednesday by Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz. Colby Maile, 17, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, was charged in Tazewell County’s 10th Judicial Circuit Court with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, a Class 2 felony — one count for each victim of the July 11 crash that killed Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, and Maxwell Dodd, 4, both of Peoria. According to court records, forensic testing showed that Maile was under the influence of Xanax and cannabis at the time of the crash. Maile allegedly admitted to investigators that he had taken two Xanax pills and smoked cannabis while fishing all night prior to the collision. The state’s attorney’s office dismissed three traffic tickets on July 17, including one for DUI/drugs, a Class A misdemeanor, and two petty traffic offenses, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and driving on the wrong side of the road — “so that it doesn’t create issues that would preclude us from filing more serious charges if he had paid those tickets prior to our office being able to complete our investigation,” Umholtz said.  The state’s attorney said that Illinois felony law allows for a heavier sentence for an aggravated DUI than it does for reckless homicide. Although Maile could be sentenced to probation if convicted, he could also serve a prison sentence of up to 28 years because two deaths were involved. Maile remains in the custody of the Tazewell County Justice Center under a $100,000 bond. While being treated at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria after the accident, Maile allegedly told police that he and a friend, Joseph Cherry, 19, of Manito, had been night fishing at Spring Lake the previous night and had had no sleep prior to the crash. Maile was driving himself and Cherry home on Manito Road, about one-eighth of a mile from Garman Road, when Maile’s vehicle collided head-on with Rosenbohm’s. At the hospital, Maile allegedly said he would not pass a drug test because he had smoked cannabis two days prior to the accident, according to court records. During an investigation into the crash, Cherry told police that he and Maile had smoked cannabis at the lake while fishing, court records said, and he said he saw Maile with two Xanax pills but did not see him take them. According to court records, Cherry said Maile came to him a few days after the crash and said he had taken the pills while they were at the lake. Officers interviewed Maile on Aug. 5 regarding the accident, and he allegedly admitted to smoking cannabis the night before the crash. Maile told officers that he and Cherry discovered that their truck’s tire was flat when they attempted to leave, court records said, and he called his mother for help. His mother arrived with his grandmother, and the tire was fixed. His grandmother then followed Maile from the lake onto Manito Road, court records said, and she was behind him when the crash occurred. According to court records, Janet Maile told police that, after the accident, her grandson gave her a cannabis bowl that he had used to smoke cannabis at the lake and told her to “dispose” of it. She allegedly said she threw the bowl into a corn field, court records said. Maile confirmed his grandmother’s story during his interview with police, court records said, and he told officers that he thought the two drugs had contributed to his drowsiness. According to court records, witnesses to the crash, including a Tazewell County Sheriff’s deputy, said Maile’s vehicle was all over the road before the accident and that other drivers were dodging him. Umholtz said he cannot say if any additional charges would be filed in connection to the accident or events that occurred after the accident. He said Tazewell County residents have the right to feel safe when out on the road in their communities. “I will say this, that as a community, I believe we have an expectation that when an individual places himself behind the wheel of a motor vehicle that he should be in a condition to operate that vehicle safely, as well as have the vehicle in a condition that would operate safely,” Umholtz said. “I just think it’s important to be able to educate and to learn, particularly from tragic circumstances, and here young people as well as experienced drivers should understand that they have a tremendous responsibility when they sit behind the wheel of a motor vehicle to make certain that they are in a condition to safely operate that motor vehicle. “The public, when traveling on public streets and highways, ought not to have to wonder about the condition of the driver of the vehicle that is approaching.” According to court records, Maile was previously convicted for consumption of alcohol by a minor in 2007 and reckless conduct in 2008.

Teen Driver Cited for DUI in Fatal Accident, Pekin Daily Times, 07/14/2009
A 17-year-old male was ticketed for driving under the influence Monday in connection with an accident that killed a Peoria mother and her young son on Manito Road Saturday morning. Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Billy Merrill said that Colby Maile, 17, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, and Joseph Cherry, 19, of Manito, both told officers they had been at Spring Lake night fishing and had had no sleep on the night before the crash that killed Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, and Maxwell Dodd, 4, both of Peoria. Preliminary autopsy results indicate Rosenbohm died of blunt force trauma to the body, said Tazewell County Coroner Dennis Conover, and her son died of blunt force trauma to the head. Merrill said Maile told police that he fell asleep at the wheel. Blood tests performed at Methodist Medical Center showed that Maile had cannabis in his system at the time of the crash, Merrill said. Maile was ticketed for driving too fast for conditions and failure to reduce speed, driving in the wrong lane and DUI for the cannabis in his system, Merrill said. “We have preliminary reports and we’re doing additional investigation,” said Tazewell County State’s Attorney Stewart Umholtz on Monday afternoon. “When we have all the information we need, we’ll make a charging decision.” The child was properly secured in a car seat in the back seat behind his mother at the time of the accident, Conover said, and Rosenbohm was also wearing a seat belt. Conover said the brunt of the accident hit the front driver’s side of the vehicle. Witnesses reported that Maile’s vehicle was drifting back and forth on Manito Road for some time before the accident. Merrill said a witness who was in front of Rosenbohm’s vehicle prior to the crash told officers that he was driving west toward Manito when Maile’s car started drifting over the middle line. The man said the vehicle narrowly missed him and that he heard the crash behind him after Maile passed. Rosenbohm and Dodd were pronounced dead at Pekin Hospital. Maile and Cherry were both treated and released at Methodist Medical Center.
An inquest into the cause and manner of the deaths will be conducted at a later date. The accident occurred about one-eighth of a mile south of Garman Road. An off-duty sheriff’s deputy was first at the scene before police were called.Conover said counselors met with first responders after the crash to help them deal with the death of the mother and child. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

Mother, Son, die in crash, Pekin Daily Times 07/13/2009
Autopsies were performed this morning to determine the cause of death of a mother and her young son who died Saturday in a two-vehicle accident on Manito Road. Tazewell County Coroner Dennis Conover said this morning that Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, and Maxwell Dodd, 4, of Peoria, were likely dead at the scene of the crash. They were transported to Pekin Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival. Rosenbohm had recently moved to Peoria from Florida. Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Billy Merrill said this morning that Rosenbohm was traveling west on Manito Road when a vehicle driven by Colby Maile, 17, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, crossed the center line and hit her head-on. Maile and his passenger, Joseph Cherry, 19, of Manito, were taken to Methodist Medical Center in Peoria for treatment. Blood was drawn at the hospital for alcohol and drug analysis. Both Maile and Cherry were treated and released. Maile told deputies that he believes he fell asleep behind the wheel and drifted into the westbound lane. Cherry said he was sound asleep when the crash happened. Merrill said witnesses reported that vehicles were swerving to avoid Maile for some time while he was driving toward Pekin. One witness said Maile was swerving all over the road, Merrill said.  An inquest into the cause and manner of the deaths will be held at a later date.  According to the coroner’s office, the accident happened about one-eighth of a mile south of Garman Road. Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department deputies, an accident reconstructionist, South Pekin Police, Manito Fire and Rescue, Forman Fire and Ambulance, and the Pekin Fire Department responded to the scene of the accident. Conover said counselors met with the first responders to help them deal with the death of the mother and child. An investigation into the crash in ongoing.

DUI for Cannabis issued in fatal crash 07/13/2009
A 17-year-old male who says he fell asleep at the wheel before a fatal crash Saturday told Tazewell County Sheriff’s deputies that he and a friend had been up all night fishing prior to the accident, and toxicology reports indicate the teen had cannabis in his system. Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Billy Merrill said that driver Colby Maile, 17, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, and Joseph Cherry, 19, of Manito, both told officers they had been at Spring Lake night fishing and had no sleep prior to the crash that killed Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, and Maxwell Dodd, 4, both of Peoria. Maile was ticketed for DUI/cannabis, failure to yield, driving too fast for conditions and driving in the wrong lane.

Names of Tazewell Co Crash Victims Released, Pekin Daily Times, 07/13/2009
Autopsies were performed Monday morning to determine the cause of death of a mother and her young son who died Saturday in a two-vehicle accident on Manito Road. Tazewell County Coroner Dennis Conover said Monday morning that Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, and Maxwell Dodd, 4, both of Peoria, were likely dead at the scene of the crash. They were transported Pekin Hospital, where they were declared dead on arrival. Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Billy Merrill said this morning that Rosenbohm was traveling west on Manito Road when a vehicle driven by Colby Maile, 17, of 1102 S. Third St., Pekin, crossed the center line and hit her head-on.