It's been more than a month since Amanda Jahn and her two children were killed in a fatal crash allegedly caused by a drunken driver.
The Grundy County State's Attorney's office is pushing along trying to give Josh Jahn, the surviving husband and father, some closure.
Also working hard is the public defender's office. Both offices were in court Thursday arguing over the release of the accused, Ann Marie Getz's medical records from the day of the accident. Click here to read the latest.
For the first time since Getz has begun her court appearances, Josh Jahn came to court Thursday. He sat in the front row directly in front of Getz's view.
A few rows back sat Lawrence Dingess, Getz's fiancé, who has been at every court hearing.
As I sat in court I observed both these men staring at the same woman with completely different thoughts, thoughts I won't event try to guess.
But through my discussions with Lawrence Dingess I realized there were so many people ruined by this preventable crash.
Josh Jahn is not only spending this Christmas without his family, but he will never have another Christmas with them again.
Lawrence Dingess is also without his fiancée, but she is alive.
There is nothing fair about anyone losing their family.
What this tragedy has done is make the Grundy County community demand answers and solutions to not only repeat DUI offenders, but how to prevent people from doing it at all.
A Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter in Grundy is in the works and county officials are working to train restaurant and bar employees on how to prevent over serving and how to deal with it when it happens.
But more importantly it has made people think. It has made me think. We can all prevent this by making the decision not to drive after drinking and making sure those around us do the same.
I ask you to remember not only the Jahn family this holiday season before you drive home from your celebrations, but also Lawrence Dingess. Because it is possible for anyone of us to ruin someone else's life, and our own life - just like Ann Marie Getz.
Mallory Medved is an assistant managing editor of weekly publications for
the Sun-Times News Group. She helps cover the Lincoln-Way area and towns
southwest of Joliet. Being naturally nosy has led her to a career in
journalism and fulfilled her dream of getting paid to read. Being a new
homeowner and a future bride, she's also perpetually broke, but enjoys
hearing about other people in the same situation. She lives in Plainfield
but is a native of New Lenox.
Christina Chapman is a Will County resident who desperately wants to live in Grundy County. But since she lost that battle with her boyfriend when they bought a house, she makes due covering Grundy County news for The Herald News in Joliet. When not covering municipal meetings, school events and finding the truth behind the latest coffee talk, she is trying to balance life as a young home owner who is fighting the stereotype that she is living in sin because she is not yet married. She hopes to share with you her perspective on life and the news in hopes that you’ll share yours.
This is a horribly sad situation for all. I have to wonder why there aren't adequate laws in place to address this issue. It's not as if this is the first tragedy any of us have heard about. It seems to me that a case comes to light and law-makers say they are working to make changes but then later it seems as if nothing legally has changed much. How is it that as a society we aren't as outraged by this situation as we were with $4/gallon gasoline? What can we do about this to impress on our lawmakers that we want these families to be the last ruined by this aspect of alcoholism?
Just for the record, someone needs to look into Lawrence Dingess' record.
"Just for the record, someone needs to look into Lawrence Dingess' record"
Boy, that sounds quite constitutional. Guilty by association. :/