Articles Posted in DUI

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Officials will be out in force through the Fourth of July weekend, looking for drunk or impaired drivers and monitoring the heavy holiday traffic in an effort to reduce the number of serious and fatal Chicago car accidents.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that it will attempt to keep lane closures in construction areas to a minimum, but urges motorists to drive sober and allow extra time to reach their destination safely.”While we want everyone to enjoy their holiday weekend, we must put safety first and remind motorists to not drink and drive and to be conscious of work zones,” said IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig. “We will limit lane closures where possible to provide some relief to those traveling over the holiday weekend, but some areas will still have workers present, so please obey the posted speed limits and drive cautiously.”

While New Year’s gets all the attention when it comes to drunk driving and fatal traffic accidents, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving have proven to be the deadliest holidays on the nation’s roads in recent years. And Fourth of July was the most dangerous holiday in Illinois in 2008, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Nearly 2,700 crashes killed 15 and injured 805 motorists.

Fatal Holiday traffic accidents nationwide in 2008:

New Year’s: 104
Memorial Day: 370
Fourth of July: 437
Labor Day: 423
Thanksgiving: 439
Christmas: 364
New Year’s Eve: 37Fatal Holiday Car Accidents in Illinois in 2008

New Year’s: 10 fatalities/ 575 injuries
Memorial Day: 8 fatalities/726 injuries
Fourth of July: 15 fatalities/805 injuries
Labor Day: 15 fatalities/ 803 injuries
Thanksgiving: 9 fatalities/961 injuries
Christmas: 8 fatalities/841 injuries

Of particular concern will be combating drunk driving. Our Chicago injury attorneys continue to report the high number of Illinois traffic accidents caused by drunk driving. Nationwide, someone is killed in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, alcohol was involved in more than one-third of all fatal Illinois traffic accidents, accounting for 434 of the state’s 1,043 road deaths.
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A mother has hurt her own daughter in a Chicago car crash, and it is alleged she was driving drunk at the time, according to the Chicago Tribune. The car accident happened on Thursday night in the 1400 block of South Pulaski Road.

Chicago police officers actually witnessed the accident. They were in the middle of a traffic stop when the 25-year-old defendant drove by going Northbound in a 1997 Chevy. She hit a 1994 Buick, then a truck before coming to a stop.

The mother was charged with aggravated DUI, driving on a suspended license, no insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, and a no seat belt violation for both her and her daughter.

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A teenager has been sentenced to six months in jail on drunk driving charges stemming from a fatal Chicago car accident that claimed the life of a friend and critically injured two passengers, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The teenager will serve 120 days in jail this year, 30 days in jail next year and 30 days in 2012 after pleading guilty in March to aggravated DUI and reckless homicide.

The June accident killed a 17-year-old West Chicago teenager. Police say the defendant’s blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit when he lost control of his SUV and struck a tree at about 3:30 a.m. on June 14.

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A 21-year-old man has been criminally charged for allegedly driving drunk when he slammed into a Chicago police officer during a traffic stop, the Sun-Times reported.

It is the latest in a string of Chicago car accidents that have injured law enforcement officers conducting traffic stops.

As we reported last month on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, a trooper was struck on I-80 while conducted a traffic stop involving a suspected drunk driver.

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A 32-year-old man is facing reckless homicide and other charges after a deadly Chicago car accident that is being blamed drunk driving, The Sun-Times reported.

The accident occurred last Friday at a busy Southwest Side intersection, where the defendant allegedly crashed into three vehicles and struck three pedestrians, killing a 25-year-old Chicago resident.

The driver is charged with reckless homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, operating a vehicle without insurance, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, reckless driving, not using due care for a pedestrian in the roadway, and driving without a valid license, according to police.

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The alleged drunk driver who killed a 5-year-old boy in a Chicago car accident, was given the keys to the vehicle by police less than an hour before he slammed into a tree with the child sleeping in the back seat, the Breaking News Center reported.

Chicago Heights police took the man’s girlfriend into custody for driving without a license before reportedly handing him the keys and allowing him to drive away in the 1998 Chevy Cavalier. Forty minutes later, he veered off Steger Road and slammed into a tree, killing the child.

Police say he had marijuana in his system and a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit. He was charged with felony driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless homicide.

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Illinois auto accident attorneys from Abels & Annes have reached a $200,000 on behalf of a Bellwood, Illinois woman for injuries sustained in a Chicago DUI car crash. The collision took place on May 31, 2009 at approximately 3:15 a.m. Our client was driving westbound on I-290 near Racine, and the defendant was also westbound on I-290 near Racine. The at fault driver was racing and speeding, swerved out of his lane of traffic and struck the plaintiff’s vehicle. The force of the impact caused our client to lose control of her vehicle and hit a third car.

After causing the accident the DUI driver attempted to flee the scene of the collision but was apprehended. He was issued citations from the Illinois State Police for driving under the influence, driving too fast for conditions/failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to give aid or information. The criminal case is still pending in Cook County.

Our client had an immediate onset of neck pain with paresthesia in her right arm following the collision. She was transported by ambulance from the site of the collision to Stroger Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, the plaintiff sought follow up medical care on the following day at the Elmhurst Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department. She complained of worsening neck pain radiating into her right arm with tingling and numbness in her face and arm, bilateral shoulder pain, back pain and pelvic pain. A history was taken, she was examined and additional diagnostic tests were performed. A neck strain was diagnosed and she was prescribed more pain medication and muscle relaxants and told to follow up with a physician.

Her pain continued to worsen. On June 3, 2009 she followed up with her physician. She complained of neck pain with numbness, back pain, left leg and hip pain following the motor vehicle collision. The pain was so bad that it was interfering with her ability to take care of her everyday needs such as getting around, bathing and shopping. Her doctor prescribed more pain medication, muscle relaxants and recommended that she see a specialist.

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Authorities say drunk driving was likely involved in a deadly Chicago car accident last Monday night on the Stevenson Expressway, ABC7 reported.

The fatal two-vehicle accident occurred in the outbound lanes near Throop when the driver of a pickup truck lost control, veered across three expressway lanes, and crashed into a car parked at the side of the freeway in an emergency area, killing the 56-year-old driver of that vehicle.

The drivers of both vehicles were transported to Stroger Hospital. The driver of the pickup truck was injured but is expected to recover. He is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to the Breaking News Center. He was detained by police but charges had not yet been filed. A 56-year-old South Mozart Street man was declared dead at 10:38 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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The Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes urge everyone to enjoy Cinco de Mayo in a responsible manner and to do your part in preventing Chicago car accidents caused by drunk driving.

WJBC Radio reports that local law enforcement agencies will be working with the Illinois Department of Transportation to increase patrols targeting drunk driving from Wednesday through the weekend. As we reported earlier this year on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, one-third of Cook County car accidents are linked to drunk driving.

In 2008, 362 Illinois traffic fatalities involved a drunk driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In recent years, Cinco de Mayo has increasingly become a party holiday. Spanish for the “fifth of May,” the holiday commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory at the Battle of Puebla, against French Forces on May 5, 1862. The day has become a day of celebrating Mexican heritage and pride. In the United States, it has become a day to celebrate Americans of Mexican ancestry, in much the same way St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Irish heritage.

The Illinois Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report the deadliest time on the road is 3 to 6 a.m.

The NHTSA provides safe event planning for the Hispanic Community, available by clicking here.

Drunk driving prevention programming is available by clicking here.
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A Chicago area hit & run pedestrian accident has seriously injured a construction worker in the Chicago area, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The accident took place in Porter County, Indiana on westbound Interstate 94.

The construction worker injured on the job was rushed to a hospital in Valparaiso, and later helicoptered to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois. The worker is in critical condition and is having head and leg surgeries.

The victim was filling cracks in a well marked construction area when the defendant made an illegal U-turn and hit him, and then carried the worker for over 30 feet before he was thrown off the car.

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