Dixon school board member Fritts pleads guilty to failure to reduce speed in brother’s death

OTTAWA – Dixon school board member David T. Fritts pleaded guilty Friday in La Salle County Court to failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident in the death of his older brother, former Lee County Treasurer John Fritts.

John Fritts was killed June 20, 2022, in a crash near Earlville.

David Fritts, 75, who was driving, was charged with disregarding a stop sign, failure to obey a stop sign and failure to reduce speed.

He was to have had a bench trial, but instead entered a plea. The first two charges were dismissed, and Fritts paid the $1,000 in fines and fees.

John Fritts, 76, of Dixon, was the campaign manager for his cousin, GOP Rep. Bradley J. Fritts, who won the 74th District seat in a race against outgoing Dixon Mayor Li Arellano Jr.

Bradley Fritts and other family members also were in the SUV.

The crash happened about 3:30 p.m. at U.S. Route 34 and East 1251st/Ottawa Road, when the southbound SUV driven by David Fritts failed to stop at the stop sign and was struck by a passenger car, La Salle County Coroner Richard Ploch said at the time.

John and Bradley Fritts were thrown from the SUV. John died at the scene.

Bradley Fritts and his mother, Nancy L. Fritts, sustained minor injuries. No one else was injured, Ploch said.

David Fritts also is a former public defender who retired as a 15th Judicial Circuit judge in 2006. John Fritts was county treasurer for 24 years, starting in 1994, and served on the Lee County Board before that.