4X Legal Limit, Morris Woman Wrecked On I-55, Injuring Several: ISP

CHANNAHON — The Will County State's Attorney's Office has filed six counts of aggravated driving under the influence against 54-year-old Morris motorist Shannon Czyzon in connection with her Nov. 30 wreck on Interstate 55 that resulted in several broken bones and lasting injuries to multiple other motorists, according to the charges.

At the hospital, Czyzon insisted she was completely sober at the time of her crash; the Illinois State Police revealed that a hospital blood draw revealed that the Morris woman was more than four times, yes, four times, the legal limit to be considered intoxicated in Illinois.

This week, the Will County State's Attorney's Office filed a motion asking that Czyzon be denied pretrial release under the Illinois Safe-T-Act.

According to the prosecution's filing, on Nov. 30, the Illinois State Police were called to a personal injury crash on southbound Interstate 55 near Channahon. Czyzon was traveling north on I-55 when her Hyundai Elantra crashed into the rear of a Nissan Kicks driven by Tyler Rasmusson. That collision caused Rasmusson to lose control of his car and veer into the southbound I-55 lanes of traffic when he collided head-on with a Volkswagen Tiguan driven by Emily Slayden.

All three drivers were taken by ambulance to St. Joe's Hospital.

Czyzon told the Illinois State Police at the hospital that a semi-truck slammed on its brakes while traveling in front of her on I-55, court documents show.

"A hospital blood draw indicated defendant's blood alcohol content was 0.348, however, defendant denied consuming alcohol. Defendant was then placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol," court files show.

As for the injuries to the other drivers: Emily Slayden fractured her hand and Tyler Rasmusson suffered a broken foot and broken leg and tore both of his shoulders. Tyler's passenger, Juliana Rasmusson, who was 26 weeks pregnant, suffered a broken arm, broken fingers and underwent surgery on her nose and eye socket. Tyler Rasmusson's 2-year-old backseat passenger suffered bruises "and has been waking up two or three times a night screaming," the prosecution's filing noted.

"Defendant poses a threat to all drivers in the county of Will because she has shown an inability to operate a vehicle in a safe, sober manner. In the instant case, defendant was operating a vehicle on an expressway while her blood alcohol content was at an alarming level," the Will County State's Attorney's Office argued in Wednesday's filing.

In 2018, the Morris defendant, then 48 years old, was convicted in Will County of illegal transportation of alcohol.

"The People pray that this honorable court deny the defendant pretrial release," prosecutor Lauren Senko wrote.