Effingham Man Arrested After Fatal Crash in Macon County; Bond Set at $1 Million

Bond has been set at $1 million for the Effingham man injured in a crash last week that resulted in the death of a Shelbyville man.

Thirty-two-year-old Richard Rodgers, Jr. of Effingham was arrested Tuesday following his release from the hospital on counts of aggravated DUI involving a fatal crash and aggravated DUI drugs, along with traffic offenses. During his initial court apperance Wednesday morning, Rodgers sought representation by the Public Defender. He is next due in court on August 26 for a preliminary hearing.

Thirty-four-year-old Justin Baker of Shelbyville was killed in the crash that occurred on August 6 east of Macon. Rodgers was taken to HSHS St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur for what authorities said were initially believed to be life-threatening injuries. A four-year-old boy, who was riding in the Baker vehicle, was also taken to St. Mary's and later was airlifted to HSHS St. John's Hospital in Springfield with what were termed life-threatening injuries. The boy's name has not been released.

The four-year-old remains in St. John's in critical condition.

The crash occurred at 7:40pm on Andrews Street Road, between Jacobs Road and Cornthwaite Road near Macon. Macon is a community located south of Decatur in Macon County. The crash report indicates the units collided head-on.