Repeat DUI driver who killed pedestrian deserves maximum punishment, says victims' family

The family of a pedestrian killed by a drunk driver in Illinois has called for all alcohol-related convictions to be "three strikes and out."

According to WQAD8, Brad Nitsch, a 33-year-old native of Mobile, Alabama, was fatally injured after being hit by Chad Morse, a serial DUI offender with two prior convictions and a string of arrests involving alcohol. Nitsch was standing on the sidewalk in a residential area in Rock Falls, Illinois, on November 26, 2011, when a vehicle driven by Morse left the road and plowed into him.

Police officers and accident attorneys familiar with the case advised that Nitsch's body was sent flying, with the car then hitting a utility pole before coming to rest lodged between a porch and two trees. Local law enforcement officers who attended the scene revealed that Morse had a blood alcohol level of more than double the legal limit, with the driver eventually charged with a number of DUI-related misdemeanors.

On March 5, Morse pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated DUI, which could carry a potential prison sentence of anywhere between three to 14 years. Six other charges were dismissed, including three counts of reckless homicide, with Morse expected to serve at least 85 percent of any prison time allocated.

"Aggravated DUI was the most serious of the charges, because it is punishable by more prison time and because Morse must serve more of his sentence before parole is possible," said Whiteside County Assistant State's Attorney James Fagerman. "In most criminal cases, defendants must serve only 50 percent of their sentence before being eligible."

However, Nitsch's family feels that Morse should be more harshly punished. According to Saukvalley.com, the charge of aggravated DUI is not enough, and with final sentencing due in May, there is every chance that he could be eligible for parole in less then three years. Accident attorneys acting for the family have expressed concerns that Morse was a repeat offender, with one family member stating that "the laws are not good enough."

"I don't feel justice was served," said Krissy Collins, the victim's sister, in an interview with the news source. "He's only pleaded to one charge. The state is the one who dismissed the charges. Personally, I feel like he took my brother's life, a life for a life. He chose to drink and drive. He chose to get behind the wheel of that vehicle after he was drinking."

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