New Charges Filed Against Beshel

Two Class 4 Felony counts of driving while his license is revoked have been filed against a Fayette County man in Effingham County Circuit Court.

The charges were filed against 54-year-old Joseph Beshel of St. Elmo, formerly of Brownstown.

Beshel was one of three drivers involved in a crash in May, east of Altamont along US Route 40. Illinois State Police reported a truck driven by Beshel was traveling south on 450th Street, while a SUV driven by 34-year-old Aaron Koonce of Altamont was traveling east on Route 40 and a van driven by 44-year-old Michelle Miller of Altamont was headed west on the highway. Police say all three vehicles collided at the intersection of 450th Street and Route 40.

Miller was taken to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham, where she was pronounced dead. Koonce was airlifted from the scene to a St. Louis hospital for treatment of injuries. 

Beshel reported no injuries at the scene of the crash. Beshel was cited for disobeying a stop sign. 

The new counts allege that Beshel was driving on a revoked license due to a previous DUI offense.

Beshel was charged in Fayette County with DUI for a separate offense in 2017 and was sentenced to seven years in prison. 

Each of the new counts in Effingham County carry a possible penalty of from one to three years in prison.