Lawsuit Settled In Alleged 'Huffing' Crash That Killed 5-Year-Old Girl
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (CBS) -- A civil lawsuit filed in connection with the death of a 5-year-old girl last Labor Day, caused by a Highland Park teenager who was allegedly "huffing" a cleaning product beforehand, has been settled ahead of the teen's criminal trial.
Court records indicated there has been a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against 18-year-old Carly Rousso, in the death of 5-year old Jaclyn Santos-Sacramento. Details of the settlement were not being made public.
According to news reports, Rousso's attorney said there could soon be a plea agreement on the criminal charges, as well. Her trial was pushed back for the second time during a court hearing in Lake County on Tuesday – from July 12 to Sept. 27.
She has been charged with two counts of reckless homicide and four counts of aggravated DUI, accused of huffing computer dust cleaner minutes before crashing a car into Jaclyn, her mother, and her two brothers last year in Highland Park.
Jaclyn's mother, Modesta Sacramento-Jimenez, and her two brothers – Daniel, 4, and Juan Carlos, 2 – survived the crash, and were not seriously injured.
Blood tests detected the chemical difluoroethane, which is found in commercial cleaning products, in Rousso's system after the crash. A container of computer cleaning product was found in her car.
The lawsuit filed against Rousso accused her of backing over Jaclyn in an attempt to flee. An attorney for Jaclyn's family has said a local high school student interceded after Rousso struck Jaclyn and her family, and forcibly removed the keys from the ignition.
Rousso, who turns 19 on Thursday, is free on bond, but has been placed on court-ordered curfew of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., and must submit to random testing and home visits from authorities. She is not allowed to drive.
