GALLATIN CO.—A local boy known across two counties (Gallatin and Saline) for being a troublemaker has been hemmed up in Gallatin after wrecking a car in an early-morning outing Sunday, April 21, 2013.
Andrew T. Cox, 19, of Ridgway, was driving a 2008 white Pontiac passenger car at 7:47 that morning when alleged reckless driving caused him to leave the roadway on Shawnee Forest Road 1,000 feet north of Bennett Cemetery Road, this according to citations issued by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department. The location is northeast of Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest.
A passenger in his car, Erin Paige Coonse (who goes by Paige), 18 (17 at the time of the wreck), of Shawneetown, was seriously injured as a result of the ensuing crash.
Coonse was airlifted to a St. Louis hospital where immediate reports at the time were that she had suffered a broken femur and had injuries to her spleen. Other injuries were later reported but only in vague terms, friends of the family reported the significant injuries to Disclosure.
Multiple counts ensue
Cox was taken to the White County Jail in Carmi, where he was held on a preliminary charge of DUI; citations issued by Gallatin County sheriff’s officials working the case also included Improper Lane Usage, Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, Disobeying a Stop Sign, Illegal Transportation of Alcohol and Reckless Driving.
However, when all was said and done, Gallatin County prosecutor Allen Roe, who is generally wont to file such charges against youth in his county, ultimately issued formal charges against Cox: Aggravated DUI (alcohol) in that Cox was “involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to another”; and Leaving the Scene of an Accident in that he “failed to remain at the scene of said accident until the requirements of 625 ILCS 11-403 had been fulfilled” (that being a statute that requires aid to be rendered to an accident victim until responders can be involved.)
The charges were filed April 23.
Even more interesting was the citation issued by Gallatin County to Coonse; she received an Illegal Transportation of Alcohol ticket. Apparently Roe intended to keep that as a traffic violation, as there had been no formal charges filed against the girl as of press time.
Saline County case pled to little to nothing
This isn’t the first incident of its sort that Cox has been involved in.
On December 8, 2012, Cox had a run-in with law enforcement in Saline County when he was stopped after speeding and subsequently landed himself multiple misdemeanor charges running the gamut of every possible thing a teen shouldn’t be involved in: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Consumption of Liquor by a Minor, Possession of Cannabis less than 2.5 grams, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Operating Uninsured and of course, Speeding.
After a few months of wrangling with defense attorney Sam Beggs, prosecutors in the case dismissed everything except the Speeding.
Another casualty of that particular incident was his girlfriend at the time, who was underage and allowing him to drive her car. She, too, was ticketed for unlawful consumption, and as a result, was kicked off the cheerleading squad.
A court date for Cox in Gallatin was noted as set for May 30 on the pending charges.