Cheryl's Law could mean felony charges for leaving clippings in road

CANTON, Ill. – Cheryl Zeglen was fatally injured June 8 earlier this year after a motorcycle crash in Bureau County.

Zeglen, a 59-year old Canton woman, was pronounced dead two days after the crash at OSF St. Francis Medical Center June 10 after attempts to save her life failed.

Nov. 27, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family for the wrongful death of Zeglen against Defendant, Jay Pankey. Pankey was ticketed for violation of 415 ILCS 105-4 under the Litter Control Act for mowing his grass clippings directly onto the road and covering an 1/8 to 1/4 of a mile of the roadway with grass.

The Defendant, Pankey, entered into a stipulated bench trial and the Defendant was found guilty in Bureau County.

Pankey was given court supervision for six months and ordered to pay fines and court costs in the amount of $482. The family of Zeglen wants to see legislation enacted to protect motorcyclists on the roads in Illinois and enact more meaningful penalties in situations like this.

This story was originally reported by the Canton Daily Ledger. For more information and the rest of the article on "Cheryl's Law," visit the newspaper's website.