A Jacksonville man was sentenced to over a decade in prison in Greene County Circuit Court last Tuesday for a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a rural Roodhouse woman in November of last year.
52-year old David A. Clark of Jacksonville was sentenced to 12 years in the Department of Corrections, followed by 2 years of mandatory supervised release, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine for pleading guilty to Class 1 felony failure to report a car crash that resulted in a death.
According to charging documents in the case, Clark is alleged to have been driving a purple 2007 Chevy Impala while on East Roodhouse Road on Friday around 7PM when he collided with a pedestrian, 71-year old Judy A. Menge of Roodhouse resulting in her death and then leaving the scene of the collision. Menge was pronounced deceased at the scene by Greene County Coroner Danny Powell approximately a half hour after the collision occurred.
Clark was apprehended by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies a short time after the collision was reported.
According to email communications with Greene County State’s Attorney Caleb Briscoe, he was somewhat disappointed by the sentence in the case, but says that he hopes that this sentence will assist the Menge Family in their continued pursuit of healing. The state had argued for the maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, while Clark’s defense attorney Craig Grummel had argued for 4 years in prison. Briscoe also thanked local law enforcement, and the Illinois State Police for their efforts in the investigation and original apprehension of Clark in the case.
Class 2 Felony failure to report a death, Class 4 felony driving on a revoked license for at least the third time, failure to reduce speed, and aggravated driving under the influence charges were dropped per the plea agreement.
Clark was given credit for 348 days served in the Greene County Jail.