CROWN POINT | Kevin Smith's family on Friday was a step closer to the justice they've been seeking a year to the day after he lost his life in a head-on crash.
Randy LaBresh, 45, was charged Friday with two felonies and two misdemeanors for causing the 2007 crash that paralyzed himself, killed Smith and injured Evetta Williams, a passenger in Smith's van.
Charges against LaBresh were filed on the one-year anniversary of the Hammond accident.
LaBresh faces a felony count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing death, a felony count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury and two misdemeanor counts of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, Lake Criminal Court records state.
The Lake Station man had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.234 at the time of the accident -- nearly three times the legal limit, court records allege.
LaBresh, when contacted, said he was not aware charges had been filed against him.
A warrant was issued Friday for LaBresh's arrest. His bail is set at $50,000, court records show.
Smith's sister, Laura Smith, said she was pleased to learn LaBresh had been charged.
She released the following statement on behalf of her family:
"This is a day of pain and agony for our family for it marks the day our precious Kevin was taken from us. We're praying that Randy LaBresh be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We are praying that this man doesn't receive a slap on the wrist for his actions. Oftentimes a drunk driver who kills someone while intoxicated receives less jail time than an attempted murderer and that is truly a slap on the wrist. Kevin is and always will be forever in our hearts."
Smith, a 30-year-old East Chicago father of six, was killed instantly when a truck driven by LaBresh just before 4 a.m. on Nov. 14, 2007 crossed the center line of Michigan Avenue near the Cline Avenue intersection in Hammond and swerved into Smith's lane, hitting his vehicle head on, court records state.
Williams, who was a passenger in Smith's car, was injured and taken to a Chicago hospital for treatment, court records state.
She was asleep at the time of the accident and jumped out of the van in an effort to help Smith, said Smith's sister, Laura Smith.
"She (Williams) still has a lot of scars," Smith said.
LaBresh, who also suffered serious injuries in the crash, remains paralyzed from the waist down and on disability, his wife, Sheree LaBresh, said.
He had several traffic violations before the crash, but none were alcohol-related, records show.
LaBresh was issued his last traffic ticket less than a week before the accident. He missed the hearing in Hobart City Court for that ticket because of the crash and had his driver's license suspended, records show.
Lisa Harris, Smith's girlfriend at the time of his death and the mother of four of his children, has filed a wrongful suit against LaBresh earlier this year, Lake Criminal Court records show. That case is still pending.
Smith's family members, including his sister, Laura, and his parents, Patricia and Frank Page, have continued to push hard for justice to be served following the crash that killed Kevin.
Other family members, including his mother, remember Smith for his wonderful sense of humor and smile that could light up a room.
"He would call me just to say I love you. He didn't deserve to die like that," Patricia Page said.
