Driver of SUV in fatal crash in Godfrey has DUI record

He’s been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol twice since 2009 and had his license taken away on numerous occasions.

Authorities said Wednesday that they were awaiting tests to determine whether Fickle, who was driving with no valid license, was drunk when he took a relative’s SUV, missed a curve on Saturn Drive here and ran through a house, killing a resident sitting in a living room chair.

Fickle, 24, of the 200 block of Mercury Drive in Godfrey, was charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, driving while his license was revoked, failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident and two counts of domestic battery from an incident that took place before the crash. Additional charges could come if toxicology reports determine Fickle was legally impaired.

Authorities said Fickle fought with a relative at his Mercury Drive residence Sunday night, grabbed the keys to an SUV and drove off. Madison County sheriff’s deputies received a call about the disturbance at 10:42 p.m. A few minutes later, they received a call about a crash in the 100 block of Saturn Drive.

They discovered the body of Marlin F. “Bud” Bushnell, 73, a widower, underneath the car.

Police said Fickle fled the scene but was picked up a short time later in the parking lot of a nearby bar.

Sunday’s arrest came while Fickle was awaiting a hearing in February regarding thefts of several air-conditioning units and possession of a controlled substance.

His case had been transferred to the county’s drug court, where offenders deemed nonviolent can avoid prosecution in exchange for time in drug treatment. But Fickle’s case was reactivated in the criminal court when he asked to leave treatment. He also has been charged with domestic violence, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, among other things, since 2005.

He was held in lieu of $150,000 bail at the Madison County Jail.