GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man who allegedly tried to kill an elderly victim by swerving off the road to strike them with his vehicle remains jailed on multiple charges.
64-year-old Tony S. Accardi of Granite City was charged on July 15, 2026 with a Class X felony count of attempted first degree murder, two counts of aggravated battery including a Class 2 and Class 3 felony, and a Class A misdemeanor count of fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer.
Accardi allegedly struck another individual with a motor vehicle with the intention of killing the victim on July 13, 2026. Charging documents state he struck the victim, who was over 60 years of age at the time of the offense, with a Chevy Silverado which was used as a “deadly weapon.”
On the same date, Accardi is accused of fleeing in a different motor vehicle from a deputy with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office after being signaled by the officer to stop the vehicle.
According to the state’s petition to deny Accardi’s pretrial release from custody, the victim reported that Accardi “struck him with a motor vehicle, resulting in him suffering a broken leg.” Video reportedly showed the vehicle swerving off of the roadway before striking the victim.
Police found the vehicle at Accardi’s residence with front end damage. When they located Accardi, he then fled from officers in a Dodge Charger before the vehicle was “disabled on a gravel roadway,” the petition states.
“Defendant was arrested and made spontaneous statements admitting to the offense,” the petition states. “He was then interviewed and admitted to deliberately striking the victim, referencing a long-running feud between the neighbors. He repeatedly indicated that he should have ‘finished him.’”
Accardi currently remains in custody at the Madison County Jail pending trial in the case presented by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
