Teutopolis Bus Crash Defendant Waives Jury Trial

Scarlett McKinzie, the Mattoon woman charged in connection with the crash in Moultrie County in February that injured several members of the Teutopolis basketball program, has waived her right to a trial by jury.

The 36-year-old McKinzie had been scheduled to go on trial July 31. She faces three felony counts of aggravated DUI as well as several traffic charges. The counts stem from a crash on February 10 when McKinzie's minivan struck a Teutopolis bus on its way to a boys basketball game. The collision occurred on Illinois Route 32 at the Bruce-Findlay Road. The bus overturned and some Teutopolis players and cheerleaders were taken for treatment.

A status hearing in the case is now set for the morning of August 22. The July 31 trial date has been waived.

McKinzie now has the option of a bench trial where the presiding judge would decide guilt or innocence, or a stipulated bench trial where a defendant enters a plea and then the bench trial proceeds from that point.