A Belleville man charged in connection with a fatal crash in Swansea had a blood-alcohol content that was “double the legal limit,” a St. Clair County prosecutor said Tuesday.

Jacob T. Hall, 23, of South 11th Street in Belleville, was charged last week with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence in connection with the three-vehicle crash that killed his passenger, 27-year-old Karlie Langley, on May 2, according to court records.

On Tuesday in a detention hearing, St. Clair County Associate Judge Sara L. Rice ordered Hall to remain in the county jail before his trial as requested by the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Langley’s mother, Tammy Langley, attended the hearing and afterward said she was “very happy” with Rice’s ruling. “Justice for Karlie,” she added.

John Pawloski, a Belleville attorney representing Hall, declined to comment.

St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Paris Bateman told Rice that Hall had a blood-alcohol content of 0.165%, which is more than twice the legal limit of 0.08% in Illinois.

At the time of the May 2 crash, Hall was out on bond on a driving under the influence charge filed by Swansea police in 2022, Bateman said. Court records allege that a police officer saw Hall “speed through a red light” at 17th Street and North Belt West and that the officer smelled the odor of alcohol coming from Hall’s vehicle.

Hall also has a pending charge of speeding 26-34 mph over the speed limit in a case investigated by New Athens police in September.

“This time it had fatal consequences,” Bateman said.

Bateman said witnesses saw Hall driving a 2002 Ford Explorer recklessly and swerving in traffic before the three-vehicle crash at about 4:30 p.m. on May2 on North Illinois Street in Swansea. The prosecutor said surveillance video corroborates what witnesses reported.

The Explorer went airborne and ended up on its roof, Bateman said. Hall was driving Langley to her job at a Fairview Heights restaurant when the crash occurred.

Karlie Langley was pronounced dead at the scene and her survivors include her 3-year-old son.

Hall and a man in another vehicle struck by the Explorer each suffered serious injuries. The other victim just recently was able to return to work, Bateman said.

Pawloski asked Rice to allow Hall to be released from the county jail because he does not believe Hall would get proper medical care while in the jail.

Hall had his right knee cap removed and doesn’t have the capability of driving a vehicle if he were to be released from jail, Pawloski said.

Hall was sitting in a wheelchair when a sheriff’s deputy rolled him into the courtroom.

“He can’t walk,” Pawloski said. “He’s suffering terribly.”

However, Bateman told the judge that officials at the St. Clair County Jail can handle injuries such as Hall’s and have guarded inmates with worse injuries.

Since Sept. 18 when Illinois ended its cash-bail system, judges have been conducting detention hearings to determine whether someone charged with a serious crime can be released from jail before their trial. One of the components of the new criminal justice system calls for judges to decide whether someone could be a threat to any person or persons in the community if released from jail.

In this case, Rice ruled that Hall could pose a threat to the community and she ordered that he remain in the St. Clair County Jail as requested by Bateman.