The Hamilton County State’s Attorney’s office filed six felony charges against the driver in an accident that killed five people in Hamilton County on Nov. 23, including four from Collinsville.
Darrell Delong, 49, of Collinsville, was charged on Dec. 5 with five counts of aggravated driving under the influence and one count of reckless homicide. A DUI charge was filed for each person who died in the accident and the reckless homicide charge is for the death of two or more people, Hamilton County State’s Attorney Justin Hood said.
Each charge is a Class 2 felony and carry sentences of 6-28 years, Hood said. At the time of the accident, Delong was charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle, a seatbelt violation, not driving on the right side of a two-lane road and failure to reduce speed.
Tammy Delong, 35, Lori Parker, 42, Robert Parker, 49 and Katelynn Fancher, 16, all from Collinsville, died as a result of injuries sustained in an accident at about 10:24 p.m. Nov. 23. Tammy Delong, Lori Parker and Robert Parker were pronounced dead at the scene, as was Diana Wright, 23, of McLeansboro. Darrell Delong and Fancher were transported by helicopter from Hamilton County Memorial Hospital to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind., where Fancher later died.
Darrell and Tammy Delong were brother and sister. Tammy Delong was Katelynn Fancher’s mother.
Blood tests on Darrell Delong, conducted at Deaconess Hospital, led to the charges, Hood said. Bond was set at $250,000 for Delong, who is being held in the White County Jail. Hamilton County does not have a jail, Hood said, so they have entered into an agreement with White County to house inmates.
A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Dec. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Hood is unsure if Delong has an attorney.
Related story: http://metroindependent.com/2013/11/25/four-from-collinsville-die-in-rollover-suv-crash/2464/
My uncle did not kill anyone it was not his fault and I don’t believe he was the driver no matter what anyone or any cop says just because of his past ur putting him in jail ur not even trying to find nothing out ur just locking up a innocent man for no reason just to make a point in ur shitty ass town. My sister was in that car and passed away but if they were here it’d be different cuz they would tell u he was not the driver u all are stupid let him out to live the rest of his life he is suffering enough with all the damn loss let him be with his family u wanna take away something take his license if u don’t want him to drive but I don’t see why u wouldn’t because he was not driving that night…u guys need to look in to it more then what u have god is gonna punish all of u for doing this to an innocent man who loves his family…….I hate u guys free my uncle I love u uncle Darrell justice will be served we are all on ur side and will free u soon
This is stupid y would you put my dad in prison he is innocent let him live his life with all of his kids and all of his family he may have drove that night no body knows. Anyone in the car could have been driving so free my dad. Dad you will get Justice because we are all on your side and i am going to go to law school and i am going to fight for you. You dont deserve to be in Prison so i will get you back. I HATE EVERY ONE WHO HELP GET MY DAD IN PRISON BECAUSE I WILL GET HIM BACK NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY HE HAS ALREADY MISSED 2 YEARS OF ME GROWING UP SO LET HIM OUT AND HE WONT MISS ANY MORE. I NEED HIM BACK AND IF I DONT GET HIM BACK U WILL REGRET IT BECAUSE I WILL SUE EVERY ONE OF YOU AND I WILL GET MY JUSTICE BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF PPL ON MY SIDE. WE FIGHT TOGETHER AND WE WIN AND YOU LOSE. I AM GREAT AT WINNING ARGUMENTS I HAVE HAD A LOT OF PRACTICE IN LIFE AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO FIGHT IN COURT. I WANT JUSTICE FOR MY DAD SO HE WILL GET THE JUSTICE HE DESERVES. MY DAD DID NOT MEAN ANY OF THIS TO HAPPEN BUT GOT NEEDED THE 5 PPL WHO I LOST IN THE WRECK AND ALL IN MY FAMILY NOBODY WILL TRY TO TAKE THERE PLACE BECAUSE I WONT LET THEM BECAUSE I AM NOT GOING TO DO THAT TO MY MOM SISTER AND 3 COUSINS I LOVE THEM ALL TO MUCH. TILL THE DAY I DIE I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THEM AND I WILL NEVER FORGET THEM AND I MEAN EVERY WORD I SAY I MAY NOT HAVE GOT A LONG WITH ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME BUT I STILL LOVE THEM.
I hate to be so late on this but this has takin a toll on my life on my schooling, you guys DO NOT know what it is like not to have a mother or a father to help you through school. Let me tell you one thing I do not care what you say or do because you are going to regret it for the rest of your life. You have not had to go to school with out a parent there to help you with your homework, Well I have and it sucks. I have went going on three years without my dad at my house and it sucks I would know. Now that my dad has to spend 18 years in prison and then 2 years on parole you all are stupid, insane, rude, disrespectful, and not honest, you will not be seeing GOD at this rate. You had better step up your game and learn life. My dad has missed almost 3 years of my life and you want him to miss 18 that is stupid and stupid. I know for a fact my dad was not the driver I know who drove that night but why would i tell you, you would not believe me any ways, but wait till I turn 18 and can sue each and everyone of you this is stupid. He does not deserve this I have been nice for quite some time now and what you do not know is when I testified I did not tell you but my dad has had a hard enough life, he just lost his wife, step-daughter, and 3 nieces and yet you want to damage him even more. Well all you are doing now is hurting your self and his family even more you are doomed.