Crystal Lake paid $20,000 in damages to man injured after car hit his house

The city of Crystal Lake paid $20,000 to a man who was “severely and permanently injured” when a vehicle slammed into his home last year while he was in the shower, city’s attorney Molly O’Reilly said. O’Reilly, a Wheaton-based attorney, was hired by the Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency to represent the city in the case of Connor Kirkpatrick, 28, who is facing criminal charges and a civil lawsuit in connection with crashing his 2017 Subaru Impreza into the home of Angelo Pleotis on July 27, 2022. Pleotis, 65, was in the shower at the time Kirkpatrick’s vehicle became lodged in the frame of the house.

The crash resulted in Pleotis being “severely and permanently injured,” according to court documents filed in the McHenry County courthouse. “[Pleotis] has and will be in the future, hindered and prevented from attending to duties and affairs and has lost and will in the future lose, the value of that time,” according to a motion written by attorney Bradley Pollock filed in the courthouse. “[Pleotis] has also experienced, and will in the future continue to experience, great pain and suffering.

” The house, 132 Heather Drive, has been sold “as-is,” said Phillip Pleotis, Angelo’s son. The house and garage backed up to Briarwood near the T-intersection at Ballard Road. Kirkpatrick is accused of traveling recklessly and at a high-rate of speed heading eastbound when he crashed into the home, according to court documents.

Phillip Pleotis said Wednesday that his father is “doing alright” and has “been trying to keep himself busy the best he can. ” Angelo Pleotis is living in a care facility in Woodstock , his son said. O’Reilly said Wednesday, following a hearing in the civil case, that although the city was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, and is only listed in court documents as a respondent in discovery, officials chose to make a settlement.

The city is not liable in anyway with regard to the crash, she said. “There were no theories that were meritorious against the city, still there is a reality of defending the case and this amount of settlement is much lower than what it would take in defending the case in motion practice,” she said. Earlier Wednesday, O’Reilly appeared virtually in the courtroom of Judge Kevin Costello with Pollock and Robert Wilson who is representing Connor Kirkpatrick in the civil lawsuit.

Kirkpatrick was present in the courtroom. The hearing was set to address a motion filed last week by attorneys for Pleotis seeking to add Connor’s dad, Charles Kirkpatrick, of Lakewood , to the civil lawsuit as a defendant along with his son. The lawsuit is seeking in excess of $50,000 from Connor Kirkpatrick.

Should Costello agree with Pleotis’ attorneys after hearing arguments at a future hearing, then Charles Kirkpatrick also could be sued in excess of $50,000, according to court documents. Kirkpatrick’s attorney asked for time to file a brief in response to the motion seeking to convert Charles Kirkpatrick from a “respondent in discovery” to a defendant. Costello allowed time for Wilson to file his brief and set the next date for Aug.

17. Connor Kirkpatrick is charged with aggravated reckless driving, reckless conduct and criminal damage to property over $100,000, for allegedly driving at 96 mph and crashing into Pleotis’ house. Last month, while out on $5,000 of a $50,000 bond for these charges, Connor Kirkpatrick was charged with aggravated arson, residential arson and criminal damage to property with fire/explosives causing more than $100,000 in damages, according to court documents.

He is accused of pouring gasoline throughout the Lakewood home he shares with his father and setting it ablaze with a cigarette lighter, according to court documents. Connor Kirkpatrick is being held in McHenry County Jail without bond and is due in a criminal courtroom Thursday. His attorneys may argue that he be given an option to make bond.

A GoFundMe established for Pleotis asking for $250,000 to help with rising medical costs has raised just over $100,000 as of Wednesday. .