PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A Peoria County jury has found a South Peoria man guilty in connection with a 2021 street-racing crash that ultimately killed two women.
Darien D. Davis, 33, who is listed as living in the 100 block of South Steubenville Street, now faces up to 40 years in prison after being found guilty of aggravated DUI, reckless homicide and aggravated street racing in connection with the Sept. 4, 2021, crash that killed Jacqueline McDuffie, 50, and a year later, 64-year-old Debbie Smith.
Smith who had been severely injured in the crash, died about a year after the accident. A third woman suffered a broken back, according to court records.
The DUI counts alleged Davis had cocaine, nordiazepam and amphetamine in his system at the time of the accident. Under state law, prosecutors did not have to prove Davis was impaired as Illinois has zero-tolerance regarding drugs while a person is driving.
Those charges carry a six-to-28-year prison range for Davis. The aggravated street racing counts, which could be made consecutive, have an imprisonment range of up to 12 years.
Davis was driving a 2008 black BMW 750Li, north on Sterling Avenue near Gale Avenue when his car collided with a 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage as that car pulled onto Sterling from Gale, according to testimony during the two-day trial.
McDuffie remained hospitalized for three weeks before she died on Sept. 25 due to severe, multiple blunt force traumas suffered in the crash. The impact from the crash caused her to be thrown out of the Mirage.
Smith and the other woman were in the Mirage and they had to be forcibly removed by rescue workers. Smith died on Sept. 20, 2022, due to complications that arose from the collision.
Surveillance cameras captured the crash and showed the BMW striking the Mitsubishi in the rear, causing the latter car to spin out of control, court records stated.
Davis will be setnenced on June 28, according to Peoria County Circuit Court records.
