Thursday, August 27, 2009

Springfield, IL: Springfield man charged in death of girlfriend



THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER
Posted Aug 24, 2009 @ 11:30 PM
Last update Aug 25, 2009 @ 06:26 AM

A Springfield man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct in connection with a May 2008 wreck that killed his girlfriend.

Adam Q. Reed, 33, whose address is unavailable, was arrested Thursday. He remained in the Sangamon County Jail Monday evening.

Reed is charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless conduct, all of which are felonies.

Nicole L. “Nicky” Zike, 29, of Springfield was killed in the wreck, which happened about 9:15 p.m. May 22, 2008, in the 1800 block of Morgan Street just north of Bunn Park. She was driving, and Reed, Zike’s boyfriend, was in the front passenger seat. Another passenger was in the back of the car.

According to prosecutors, Reed and Zike began arguing as the car was southbound on Martin Luther King Drive, and he struck her with a beer bottle while the car was still moving.

Reed then allegedly tried to climb into the driver’s seat on top of Zike, at which point she lost control of the car. The vehicle hit a parked trailer and then crashed into a tree in the yard of a home on Morgan.

Police estimate the car was traveling 50 to 70 mph when it hit the tree.

Zike, who died of injuries to the body, had a blood-alcohol concentration of .204 percent, well over the .08 percent legal limit in Illinois, and cocaine also was in her system, authorities said at the coroner’s inquest in June 2008. Authorities said Reed also appeared to be highly intoxicated.

The coroner’s jury ruled the manner of death “undetermined.”

John Milhiser, Sangamon County first assistant state’s attorney, said prosecutors had to review the crash reconstruction report, medical records and other information before filing charges against Reed.

A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 3.

In March of this year, Reed pleaded guilty to domestic battery for allegedly punching an ex-girlfriend repeatedly in the face, then trying to strangle her. He already was on probation for a felony criminal damage case from 2007. Reed was sentenced in June to 18 months in prison, plus one year probation, but Illinois Department of Corrections records show he was released on parole Aug..

In 2008, he was charged with resisting arrest after he allegedly pulled a Springfield police officer’s shoulder out of the socket while the officer was trying to handcuff Reed. The status of that court case was unclear Monday.

Another former girlfriend sought an order of protection in 2003, accusing Reed of punching her repeatedly in the face.

Other charges against Reed through the years include leaving the scene of an accident, disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to court records.

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