Crime & Safety
Family Seeks Justice in Death of Lake Zurich Native
Darin Steffy, 37, who grew up in Lake Zurich and attended high school in Palatine, died in a motorcycle crash last October in California.
By Editor Amie Schaenzer
A family is seeking justice for a Lake Zurich native who worked as a career firefighter in California and was killed last October when police said a 21-year-old woman crossed the centerline and hit him head on, according to CBS Chicago.
Darin Steffey, who was 37 when he died in the motorcycle crash, grew up in Lake Zurich and attended high school in Palatine, according to the article. He was a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and had served in the U.S. Air Force, according to his obituary.
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Natasia Ray Woods, 21, who is accused of causing the crash that killed Steffey, is expected in court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing, according to KFMB Channel 8 in San Diego.
The accident happened while Steffey was on his way home from work on a highway in Campo, Calif., which is east of San Diego, according to UTSandDiego.com.
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Steffey was traveling south on Buckman Springs Road north of Oak Drive when Woods is accused of driving into the right shoulder, while traveling more than 70 mph, and then driving her SUV into the northbound lane and striking Steffey's motorcycle, according to the article.
A family member of Steffey told CBS Chicago the most Woods is likely to serve is one year in jail, and while her family is not seeking vengeance, they are hoping Woods will get enough time to "think about what she did."
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