Peoria Standard

June 21, 2024, Peoria, IL – Today, during a bench trial, Christopher J. Shea, 45, was found guilty of Failure to Report an Accident Involving a Personal Injury for an incident that left a man severely injured. Around 5 p.m. on September 9, 2023, officers were called to Firestone on Knoxville for a man hit by a car. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, the Firestone store manager, lying in the middle of the road and bleeding heavily from his right ear. The victim received a traumatic brain injury from the accident and now has a permanent disability.

During the trial today, the victim and several Firestone employees testified that on the day of the accident, Shea had arrived at the store to pick up his car after it had been repaired. Instead of paying for the repairs, he grabbed the keys from the counter and took off. While Shea was leaving, the only way for the manager to avoid getting run over was to jump on top of the car on the driver's side. He fell off in the middle of the road as Shea drove across Knoxville Avenue. Shea never stopped, returned, or reported the accident.

The car was found outside a house in the 3000 block of NE Adams Street. Shea and the keys to the car were found inside one of the apartments in that house. When Shea took the stand, he admitted he intended to take the car without paying but claimed he never saw the victim holding onto it. Witness testimony proved otherwise.

Sentencing is set for August 19.