Motorist injured, charged after accident

A BRACEVILLE MAN suffered minor injures and was later charged with DUI as result of a rollover accident at the intersection of Huston Road and Mitchell Road in Bracevlle.

A Grundy County deputy was dispatched to the area of Huston Road and Mitchell Road in Braceville for a report of an injury accident Friday, Dec. 23. When the officer arrived on the scene, he observed a black or green Mini Cooper on its roof on Huston Road, approximately 150 feet west of Mitchell Road.

Next to the driver's side of the vehicle, the officer observed a male subject and another subject with him.

The driver was identified as Kirk A. Rode II, 20, of Braceville, and the second subject was James Mueller. Mueller told the deputy he was on the phone with Rode just before the accident. He said Rode was telling him he was out by Braceville cruising the back roads. Mueller said he was also in the area and came upon the accident shortly after the phone call.

The officer continued to talk to Rode, trying to keep him alert until Emergency Medical Services was on the scene. Once EMS arrived, Rode was removed from the roadway and was transported to Morris Hospital.

A tow was called to the scene to remove the vehicle. J & R Service Center responded and removed the vehicle from the roadway.

After fire, EMS and the tow truck left the scene, the responding Grundy County officer investigated what happened to cause the accident. The officer could see just east of Mitchell Road where it appeared Rode's vehicle left the roadway shortly before 1 a.m. The tire tracks went off the shoulder on the north side of the road, crossed the intersection into the north ditch and up to the tree that Rode's vehicle struck. Rode's vehicle then rolled over on its roof and came to rest on the roadway.

It was apparent to the officer Rode was traveling at a higher rate of speed and did not stop at the stop sign on Huston Road and Mitchell Road for westbound traffic.

Rode was later transported from Morris Hospital to the Grundy County jail. Rode was issued a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and a citation for disobeying a stop sign. He was also cited for driving while under the influence of alcohol.