PEORIA COUNTY – A prominent Peoria-area philanthropic leader has been identified as the woman killed in a UTV crash that led to the driver’s arrest for aggravated DUI.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood identified the woman as 50-year-old Laura S. Cullinan of Edwards.
Harwood says an autopsy found Cullinan suffered severe blunt-force trauma to her head and chest and died instantly. Toxicology results are pending.
Cullinan was president of the Gilmore Foundation, which supports arts and culture, human services, education and community development throughout Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties.
25 News reports Cullinan also advised the Greater Peoria Leadership Council and served on Choose Greater Peoria. The Gilmore Foundation had committed more than $14 million to organizations and projects across the tri-county area as of 2024.
The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the 5600 block of North Kickapoo-Edwards Road around 11 p.m. Saturday for a rollover crash on private property.
Deputies found the UTV on its side with Cullinan partially pinned underneath. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say four people were in the UTV, which was being driven by 52-year-old Joshua A. Bellamy.
The Sheriff’s Office says the UTV left a paved driveway or path, struck a wooden post and overturned.
Deputies reported signs that Bellamy was impaired. The Sheriff’s Office says he refused field sobriety and chemical testing and was taken into custody.
Detectives later obtained a search warrant and collected blood and urine samples as part of the investigation.
Bellamy was booked into the Peoria County Jail on charges of DUI and aggravated DUI.
Bellamy is the founder and CEO of Peoria-based HealthStrategy LLC. 25 News reports he is also the founder and owner of The Yard Peoria and has been identified by the Peoria Riverfront Museum as a managing partner of Peoria City Soccer.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office.
