Darrell Delong
HAMILTON CO., Ill.—The man who was ‘ramping’ an area of Hamilton County known as “Thrill Hills” last year, and subsequently crashed his SUV, killing family members, is going to prison for an extensive length of time.
However, many in Hamilton County are telling us this morning that 20 years isn’t long enough for Darrell Delong, 49, whose family members were with him last November 23 when, while he was driving drunk, he crashed his vehicle and was the only survivor.
Killed in the crash on Anderson School Road in Hamilton County were Robert L. Parker, age 49, of Collinsville; Lori S. Parker, age 42, of Collinsville; Delong’s wife Tammy A. Delong, age 35, of Collinsville; and Diana N. Wright, age 23, of McLeansboro; 16-year-old Katelyn Fancher of Collinsville died not long after the crash.
Delong was allowed to enter a plea of guilty to one of five counts of Aggravated DUI Causing Death, this on June 16 of this year, and after he’d been held at the White County Jail in Carmi since the time of his arrest. In exchange for the plea, the rest of the charges were dismissed, including one count of Reckless Homicide.
Residents of Hamilton County familiar with Delong’s previous antics along these lines say they hoped Delong would be in prison longer, but that 20 years, as part of a plea negotiation, is at least enough to keep him off the roads between McLeansboro and Collinsville for awhile.