Man charged with reckless conduct in friend's death

<p align="justify">As family and friends grieved for Robert M. Hurt, who died Sunday after being hit by car, they also lent their support to his childhood friend, Brandon Gish, who is facing a charge of reckless conduct for allegedly pushing Hurt into oncoming traffic.

<p align="justify">Gish, a 19-year-old freshman at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, was charged Monday afternoon in Peoria County court with the felony offense that could send him to prison for up to three years. He could also be sentenced to probation.

<p align="justify">The charge states Gish, "while acting in a reckless manner" pushed Hurt about 11 p.m. Saturday, causing him to fall into oncoming traffic on University Street, where he was struck by a vehicle. Hurt, 21, a junior mechanical engineering major at Bradley with a passion for golf and the outdoors, died from head injuries suffered in the accident, said Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll, referring to autopsy results released Monday.

<p align="justify">Reckless conduct is a lesser charge than involuntary manslaughter, for which Gish was originally booked Sunday.

<p align="justify">Hurt's mother Dona Fazio said Sunday that Gish and her son were like brothers, who had been raised together since they were young. She said her son enjoyed his time at Bradley and was loved by his friends, including many he remained close to after graduating in 2005 from Pontiac High School.

<p align="justify">"We know it was just a tragic accident," she said, adding no one feels worse than Gish

<p align="justify">Peoria County State's Attorney Kevin Lyons said he was aware of the tight friendship. He felt for both sides but said "once again, a 19-year-old has illegally consumed more than a tiny amount of alcohol and has recklessly acted by pushing his friend in a manner that caused him to fall into the nearby street and be struck by an oncoming car."

<p align="justify">Hurt and Gish were walking with a group of about five other people at the time. Gish and another friend were also cited with illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor. Gish's blood-alcohol content has not yet been released, but Hurt's preliminary blood-alcohol content was 0.197 percent, more than twice the state's legal threshold for drunkenness. Ingersoll said confirmation testing will follow, with final results being released in several weeks during Hurt's inquest.

<p align="justify">Gish was released on $10,000 bond Monday. He will next appear in court April 3 for a preliminary hearing. A grand jury will hear the case at a later date, where the panel could decide to indict Gish on reckless conduct, new charges or opt not to indict him.

<p align="justify">"Until then, I again extend to the family and friends of Robert Hurt, the greater Bradley campus and all the rest of us my sympathies for a life interrupted of a talented young man who hoped to someday make the world more fun and bright," Lyons said.

<p align="justify">Bradley President Joanne Glasser released a statement Monday also extending her condolences.

<p align="justify">"Today we are mourning the untimely death of another Bradley student," she said in the written statement.

<p align="justify">The statement also said a committee is in the early stages of developing proposals to stem the use and misuse of alcohol on campus, though she added it is premature to discuss recommendations.

<p align="justify">When asked why this case was charged differently than a case involving four students who lit Roman candles in their West Peoria home, causing a fire that killed their roommate, Lyons said the distinction lay with the intent.

<p align="justify">"Their purpose was to light a Roman candle inside of a home. Their purpose was to make it go off and then repeat it," Lyons said. "The acts in the street, for lack of a better term, were what the public would term as accidental.

<p align="justify">"Shooting a Roman candle inside a house is never a good idea. Horseplay on a sidewalk is something that frequently occurs. In this case, those things caused a tragic result," Lyons said.

<p align="justify">Erinn Deshinsky can be reached at (309) 686-3112 or edeshinsky@pjstar.com. Andy Kravetz can be reached at (309) 686-3283 or akravetz@pjstar.com. Leslie Fark contributed to this story.