A Cook County judge on Friday sentenced Brookfield resident Thomas J. Postulka to 12 years in prison for driving drunk and killing an elderly couple as they crossed the street on their way to church in 2007.


Judge Carol Kipperman rejected a request for lenience from defense attorney Ed Wanderling, who asked that Postulka be sentenced to either probation or the legislative minimum of six-years in prison, saying that probation “is not an option.”


“For the protection of the public, I feel that the defendant should be incarcerated,” Kipperman said prior to imposing the sentence. Unless that sentence is appealed or overturned by a higher court, Postulka will remain behind bars for at least 10 years. Illinois statute requires aggravated DUI offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.


Postulka, 46, sobbed throughout an apology he read to the family of Francis and Helen Lilly, the couple he ran down on Jan. 22, 2007, as the two walked arm in arm across the street in the 4000 block of

Prairie Avenue
in Brookfield. The Lillys were on their way to St. Barbara Church where they planned on attending a prayer service.


“I am so very sorry for taking Mr. and Mrs. Lilly away from you, and I sincerely apologize and regret the pain and suffering they went through,” Postulka said. “I know I can’t change things, but I’m going to keep praying for them and for you as a family.”


Postulka, who has been in Cook County Jail since the 2007 incident, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated driving under the influence on March 14. He was facing up to 28 years in prison due to the fact that he killed two people.


Kipperman said she might have considered probation for Postulka if this had been his first DUI offense. However, Postulka received court supervision for a DUI in LaGrange Park in December 2001 and had been arrested and charged with DUI on Jan. 20, 2007, in North Riverside, just two days before he killed the Lillys.


In the North Riverside incident, Postulka allegedly lost control of his car and drove it into a street light at the intersection of

Cermak Road
and First Avenue
, knocking the light pole to the ground and totaling his car. That case is still pending.


He was driving his brother’s vehicle at the time of the Jan. 22 incident.

 

For a full report, see the April 9 Landmark.