The death of a Clifton man on the verge of creating a new Illinois law

Drivers who violate right-of-way rules and injure pedestrians in crosswalks in Illinois would receive a one-year suspension of their driver’s license. It’s a developing news story talked about locally before -- in response to an accident that killed an Iroquois County resident.

Senator Jason Barickman is co-sponsor of House Bill 2383 — referred to as Mason’s Law.

The law would require a one-year suspension of a person’s driver’s license if they commit a right-of-way violation at a crosswalk or a crosswalk in a school zone that results in bodily harm or death.

The legislation was filed in the House by Lindsay Parkhurst of Kankakee. It’s in response to the death of 24-year-old rural Clifton resident Mason Knorr. He was killed in a traffic crash when a semi failed to obey a posted stop sign.

 “First and foremost, this is about creating a deterrent to careless driving and keeping pedestrians safe, especially those in school zones,” said Barickman. “If someone breaks the rules of the road and injures a pedestrian, they should receive a more serious punishment than a simple fine.”

The bill passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday 5/21. It’s headed back to the House for a concurrence vote.

94.1 WGFA