Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A motorist has been charged in connection with a fatal Chicago drunk driving accident involving a semi on the near West Side, the Sun-Times reported.
The car’s driver was charged with two counts of drunk driving this week, in connection with the crash, which occurred shortly after 2:30 a.m. last Thursday at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Canal Street. The 2005 Ford Taurus crashed into the cab portion of the UPS semi.
The 21-year-old driver of the Taurus was traveling West on Roosevelt Road at a high rate of speed when it collided with the truck as it attempted to turn across traffic, police reported. A 25-year-old passenger in the car was transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead at 3:35 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The driver was charged with two counts of misdemeanor driving under the influence and cited with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, as well as driving a vehicle without insurance.
Police said the driver’s blood-alcohol level was .16 — twice the legal limit in Illinois.
The Chicago Fire Department was called to the scene, where emergency crews had to extricate some of the victims from the wreckage.
Two other victims were taken in serious to critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital; three were taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Rush University Medical Center and the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago.
The police Major Accident Investigation Unit continues to investigate.