Illinois Man Alleges Street Racing in Suit over Death of Wife and Son

By Jim Greene

Published on February 09, 2006

Nicole Westerhoff, 24, and Devin Westerhoff, 4, were killed instantly near West Chicago when their Toyota Corolla was struck by a Ferrari driven by Matthew Lane, who also died in the crash.

In a suit filed in DuPage County Circuit Court, husband and father Harry John Westerhoff is asking for compensation of an undisclosed amount exceeding $50,000 from Lanes' estate and from Michael Aguilar, who the suit claims was racing with Lane when the Ferrari crossed the center line and hit the Westerhoff car head on, splitting the Ferrari in two. Officials said that, although witnesses reported that Aguilar was speeding, there was no evidence to support the claim that he was racing with Lane. Aguilar was not charged.

Attorney Bob Clifford said that the case was not only about financial compensation, but also about how the legal system issues traffic offense sentences. Records show that Lane had received 42 traffic citations in the 10 years before the crash, including 24 for speeding, and had never been convicted or had his driving privileges revoked. Clifford said many crashes occur because judges aren't in a position to consider expunged citations when sentencing for new citations.

Comment on this article →