Settlement Pending In Fatal Crash Charges

The accused drunk driver in a Chesterfield car crash that killed teacher Janet Esrock and injured her teen son, has agreed to a settlement hearing April 27 after a series of pre-trial hearings, according to St. Louis County courts.

Patrick J. McCormick, 54, a Chesterfield resident, was

Despite the court's change of status in the case, McCormick's attorney Scott Rosenblum told Patch Friday he would not discuss the update. He said simply it was a "pre-trial" event. 

Get updates with free Chesterfield Patch subscription

McCormick was said to have driven an SUV into oncoming traffic along Wildhorse Creek Road at 10pm on August 26, crashing head-on into the sedan driven by Chesterfield resident Esrock, and her 16-year-old son Jonathan Esrock.

Esrock, 50, never regained conscious and died two weeks later. Her son survived, leaving the hospital weeks later, and faced ongoing therapy.

McCormick's case has gone through a series of continuances, delays and change of judges since a grand jury indictment October 19. Roseblum was unwilling to describe why he required a reassignment of judges.

The settlement conference is slated for 9am April 27 with Judge Thomas Prebil in St. Louis County Court. 

McCormick, who at the time of the crash worked in facilities maintenance at St. Louis University Medical Center, was arraigned on the charges November 9, and has been out on bail since that time.

Both his and Esrocks' homes are near the crash site on Wildhorse Creek Road in Chesterfield.

Esrock, a math teacher and coach at Whitfield School in Creve Coeur, has three children. She is survived by a spouse, Chuck Esrock.