(KFVS) - The Illinois Department of Transportation kicked off the "Gear Up-Ride Smart" motorcycle safety campaign in partnership with the Illinois State Police, Gold Wing Road Riders Association and A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education on Wednesday.

The campaign promotes safe motorcycle riding through continued training and use of proper gear and reminds all motorcyclists to get licensed, get proper training, and keep motorcycle equipment well maintained. "Gear Up - Ride Smart" also warns against riding after drinking.

Motorcycles represent 3 percent of total vehicle registrations, yet motorcycle fatalities account for more than 15 percent of all vehicle fatalities. Statistics show that about half of motorcycle rider deaths occur in crashes involving only the motorcycle, and approximately 40 percent of those fatalities involve motorcycle operators who rode after drinking.

MURPHYSBORO, IL (KFVS) - Union County State's Attorney Tyler R. Edmonds announced Tuesday, March 26 that Angel L. Guajardo from Murphysboro has been sentenced to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Guajardo, 34, was sentenced after a guilty plea on one count of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested on Feb. 18 after a traffic stop by the Anna Police Department.

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UNION COUNTY, IL (KFVS)- A teenage driver is recovering after he loses control of his car on Lick Creek Road on Monday afternoon.

Police say the 18-year-old driver left the roadway and ended up crashing into the front bedroom of the Sloan family's home.

"I was standing out here on the porch working on getting the rust off this strap when I heard squealing tires," said Paul Sloan. "I looked up the road and seen him coming. I thought he was going to hit the porch. And I was going to try to get on the roof as quickly as possible."

But, there was no time for Sloan to do anything but hang onto whatever he could as the car smashed into his house.

"That car moved this house. My door is sitting two feet further back then where it was," Sloan said.

The impact of the car crashing into the front wall of the trailer knocked furniture over in the living room. And the frame of the home off of it's cinder blocks.