Illinois State Police Arrests Man Charged with Aggravated DIU and Reckless Homicide

𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐅𝐈𝐄𝐋𝐃 – The Illinois State Police (ISP) arrested 34-year-old Edwin O. Pacheco-Meza of Indianapolis, IN after a fatal crash in Westfield, IL Friday evening. ​ Today, the Clark County State’s Attorney’s Office filed two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence and one count of Reckless Homicide against Meza. ​

Around 7 p.m. on Friday, October 24, 2025, ISP responded to a two vehicle crash on West Lincoln Street near South Division Street in Westfield. ​ Preliminary information shows a Chevrolet Express van driven by Pacheco-Meza was traveling eastbound when it crossed the center line and hit a Ford F150 truck traveling westbound head-on. Two passengers in the F150 truck, 71-year-old Michael Clayton and 66-year-old Gail Clayton, both of Charleston, IL, were pronounced deceased on scene, and the driver and an additional passenger in the truck, 72-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman, both of Charleston, were transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. ​ The passenger of the van, 18-year-old Juan L. Morales Martinez of Lawrence, IN was uninjured and the driver, Pacheco-Meza, was treated for minor injuries. ​ ​ ​ ​

Following the crash, Pacheco-Meza was detained in the Clark County Jail. ​ On October 27, 2025, a detention hearing was conducted and Pacheco-Meza remains in custody pending court proceedings. ​ The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is available at this time.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐰. ###