The Pantagraph.com recently published an article detailing the sentencing of a truck driver who was responsible for the death of firefighter Chris Brown, a Hudson/Bloomington firefighter. The incident occurred last year when Brown was struck by a semi-truck on Interstate 39.
Mansur Shakirov, a 29-year-old man from Spokane, Washington, was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the tragic accident. He had previously been convicted of felony reckless homicide earlier this year and was credited with 117 days already served in jail.
During the sentencing hearing on Friday, Brown’s sister, Jennifer Radek, addressed the court. She shared a powerful statement that highlighted the emotional impact of her brother's death and called for a stronger message to be sent to drivers and authorities alike.
“It’s incredibly hard for our family to come up with a sentence that feels just for what happened and the loss we’ve suffered. But we believe an eight-year sentence would set a strong precedent. It would send a clear message to legislators, trucking company owners, and most importantly, to drivers of commercial vehicles—when they’re near emergency responders on the road, they must slow down, move over, and follow traffic laws or face the consequences.â€
Chris Brown’s mother, Pamela Brown, also spoke during the hearing, expressing how deeply her family misses him. Despite their grief, the family chose not to comment publicly after the sentencing. The case was presided over by Associate Judge Casey Costigan, who handed down the sentence.
Prosecutors had asked for an eight-year sentence, though the judge also considered options like 14 years in prison or probation. Brown, a dedicated firefighter with the Bloomington Fire Department, died on March 5, 2013, while volunteering with the Hudson Fire Department. The accident happened on an icy stretch of I-39 north of Normal, where Hudson firefighters were already at the scene of another crash.
Brown left behind a wife and two young sons. In March, a jury found Shakirov guilty of felony reckless homicide for failing to slow down and move over to avoid hitting a command vehicle and other emergency personnel at the scene.
Before being sentenced, Shakirov expressed deep regret, saying, “I truly regret what happened. My heart goes out to everyone in that family.â€
Shakirov’s father, Bakhtiyer, shared some background about the family’s journey. He explained that they were refugees from Russia and had to leave their home when Mansur was 21. With the help of a global relief organization, the family relocated to Washington state, where Mansur worked full-time, attended ESL classes at night, earned his GED, and eventually graduated with an associate’s degree from a community college. “He was the first in our family to go to college,†Bakhtiyer said.
Judge Costigan acknowledged that while Shakirov did not intend for any harm to occur, his actions endangered and ultimately caused serious harm. He emphasized that all drivers have a responsibility to follow traffic laws, especially when emergency personnel are present.
He also noted that the case has received significant media attention and hoped it would raise public awareness about the dangers faced by first responders. “I hope people will think more carefully about the safety of firefighters, police officers, and others at accident scenes and act responsibly to prevent such tragedies in the future,†he said.
“The court realizes there are no winners today,†Costigan concluded.
Thanks, Dan.
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