Police: Driver Was High In Accident That Killed 2 Near Crete
CRETE TOWNSHIP, Ill. (STMW) -- The driver in a crash that killed two 21-year-old women Sunday has been charged with driving under the influence of cannabis.
Velar Mayfield, 23, of 707 Wright Road in University Park, has been charged while in good condition at St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields, Will County Sheriff's police said.
Mayfield was driving a four-door Chevrolet just before 12:05 p.m. Sunday in the 3000 block of East Bemes Road when he hit a patch of ice, lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree, Deputy Chief Ken Kaupas said.
Two eyewitnesses said the Chevy had just come over a hill when the accident occurred.
Sarah C. Shepard, of Park Forest, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.
Cheyenne Cardosi, of Cedar Lake, Ind., was transported to St. Margaret's Hospital in Dyer, Ind., where she was pronounced dead.
Will County Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil said an autopsy performed Monday confirmed Shepard's death was the result of multiple injuries from the crash.
A profile that appears to belong to Mayfield on the social website MySpace is titled "(Expletive) u if u against me" and lists "smoking" among his top interests.
Mayfield was arrested Oct. 30, 2005, for allegedly carrying 3 grams of cannabis when he was a passenger in a car stopped by Chicago Heights police.
On Sept. 3, 2009, Crete police stopped Mayfield for driving without headlights at Main and First streets and allegedly found 1.6 grams of marijuana in the car.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
