Thomson woman pleads not guilty in Christmas traffic fatality

MORRISON – A Thomson woman pleaded not guilty to failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident in a collision Dec. 25 that took the life of a pedestrian near Fulton.

Tina L. Craigmiles, 51, first was charged Jan. 3.

That case was dropped because lab test results were pending and the state requested “further investigation,” Whiteside County State’s Attorney Terry Costello said in his Jan. 12 motion to dismiss.

The charge was refiled on Feb. 24, and Craigmiles pleaded not guilty on March 22. She has a pretrial conference June 14.

According to the Whiteside County sheriff’s report, the collision happened on state Route 84 and Covell Road shortly before 6 p.m.

Craigmiles told the deputy that she was northbound on 84, looked down to set her SUV’s cruise control, and when she looked up, she struck the pedestrian, Renee G. Peralta, 48, of North Las Vegas, Nevada, who was standing in the northbound lane.

She also had passenger, David L. Craigmiles, the report said. It did not say how fast she was driving.

It appears Peralta was traveling through the area; she had several bus tickets with her, Sheriff John Booker said.