Category: DUI

A Stevenson Expressway DUI accident resulted in a fatality. This Stevenson Expressway DUI accident occurred early Sunday (April 28, 2019) morning and involved one car “rear-ending” another car which was operating as an Uber.

This I-55 fatal crash is discussed in a number of media sources, including the April 30, 2019 Chicago Tribune article titled “I’m so glad he didn’t get away with it…” as well as the April 30 NBC Chicago article (with video) titled “Man Charged With DUI, Fleeing Deadly Stevenson Crash That Killed Woman Celebrating Birthday.”

In this Stevenson Expressway DUI crash, the car that was “rear-ended” was a Hyundai operating as an Uber. It carried the driver and three passengers. While the driver and two of the passengers were able to escape the Hyundai after it was hit, one of the passengers, identified as Jamie Ann Poulos, 23, of Berwyn, was unable to escape the car after it burst into flames. She died at the accident scene.

The driver of the Uber and two passengers were hospitalized for treatment of their accident injuries.

The driver of the car (an Infiniti) that hit the Hyundai was identified as
Rami Matariyeh, 22, of Homer Glen. He fled the accident scene but was later apprehended.

An excerpt regarding this Stevenson Expressway DUI crash, seen in the NBC Chicago article mentioned above:

Rami Matariyeh, of Homer Glen, was charged with leaving the scene of a deadly crash, leaving the scene of a crash that caused great bodily harm, aggravated DUI resulting in death, aggravated DUI resulting in great bodily harm and reckless homicide, according to Illinois State Police. 

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Stevenson Expressway DUI crash can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Additional discussion of Will County DUI accidents can be seen in posts found under the “DUI” category. As seen in those posts, accidents involving people driving while intoxicated has led to many accidents with injuries, and in some cases fatalities.

An I-80 car collision occurred Sunday (March 17, 2019) evening. This I-80 car collision involved an Illinois State Police (ISP) police car being “rear-ended” by another car. The man driving the other car was subsequently charged with DUI.

The accident is discussed in a number of media sources, including the March 19, 2019 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “State trooper injured in Joliet is 13th struck by vehicle this year.”

An excerpt from the article:

Rodolfo Mejia, 45, of Channahon, was charged with DUI and also cited for a violation of “Scott’s Law,” which mandates drivers to move over and slow down for emergency vehicles, state police said in a statement.

The trooper was inside his parked car at 6:40 p.m. during a traffic stop on I-80 near Hollywood Road when Mejia rear-ended him, police said. The impact sent the trooper’s car and a pulled over Nissan into a ditch.

Following this I-80 accident, bystanders had to help Mejia out of his car, after which the car caught on fire.

As seen in the accident scene photo, the State Police car was heavily damaged during the crash.

Both the Illinois State Trooper and Mejia were taken to the hospital for treatment of their accident injuries. Those injuries were considered to be non-life-threatening in nature.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this I-80 car collision can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above.

On this site, Will County crashes involving drivers who drive after excessive drinking – as well as those crashes involving drivers who drive while intoxicated by drugs – are summarized in posts found under the “DUI” category.

Additional discussion regarding the increasingly frequent problem of drug-impaired drivers, and the accident injuries involved during crashes they are involved in, is discussed on the “Vehicle Accidents Involving Drivers Under The Influence Of Drugs” page.

Will County drunk driving continues to be a significant traffic safety problem. As discussed in various posts throughout this site, including the recent “Drunk Driving Accidents Causing Serious Injuries In Will County” post, Will County drunk driving has caused many accidents with injuries. Drivers who are driving while alcohol-impaired have been involved in many types of serious accidents, including vehicle rollover accidents as well as “head-on collisions.”

The February 4, 2019 Joliet Patch article, titled “Drunk Driver Caused Bad Crash Near Louis Mall: JPD” discusses a crash that allegedly involved Will County drunk driving. The driver allegedly at fault was charged with felony drunk driving.

The accident occurred on February 2, 2019.

An excerpt from the article:

A 39-year-old man from Shorewood has been charged with felony drunken driving in connection with a bad crash on Saturday night that left the other motorist with severe injuries, according to police. The crash happened on Plainfield Road near the on-ramp to Interstate 55.

As seen in the article, the motorist who was injured was driving eastbound on Plainfield Road at the time of the collision. That driver had to be extricated from the vehicle. The type and extent of the injuries were not disclosed.

On this site, accident injuries that result from various types of crashes are discussed on the “Injuries Resulting From Various Types Of Vehicle Accidents” page. As discussed on that page, there are various steps that one should take if injured in a vehicle accident. Among these steps are those that should be undertaken to protect one’s health as well as steps that should be taken to maximize one’s ability to attain accident injury compensation.

These steps to protect both one’s health, as well as attending to the legal issues, should be taken as soon as possible.

Additional details regarding these Will County drunk driving issues can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Drunk driving accidents continue to be a significant traffic safety issue in the Chicagoland area. Many serious drunk driving accidents – causing injuries and fatalities – have recently resulted due to drivers who are impaired by alcohol consumption.

Additionally, drivers impaired by drug use is a growing problem. Drug use – especially if it is mixed drug use and/or also involves consumption of alcohol – can cause a high degree of driver impairment.

On this site, Will County vehicle crashes that involve DUI and “drugged driving” are discussed in posts found under the “DUI” category.  As seen in these accidents, many serious injuries – as well as fatal injuries – have resulted due to impaired drivers. The types of accidents that result due to impaired driving is broad, and common accidents that occur due to impairment include loss of control accidents and accidents in which the vehicle leaves the roadway. Also, “head-on collisions” also result.

Two recent alleged drunk driving accidents recently occurred on I-355 and I-55. One driver was involved in both of these accidents.

An excerpt from the January 25, 2019 Darien Patch article titled “2 Troopers Hurt By DUI Drivers: State Police“:

Two Illinois State Police troopers were injured by a drunk driver on Thursday evening, state police said. Desmond Glee, 47, of Romeoville, has been charged with aggravated DUI after crashing into two state police squad cars, which resulted in injuries to two troopers.

As seen in the article, the crashes occurred on January 24.

Both the two injured Illinois State Police officers as well as Glee were taken to hospitals for treatment of their accident injuries. Those injuries were considered to be non-life-threatening in nature.

Additional details regarding these Will County drunk driving accidents can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Drunk driving, as well as drivers who are impaired by drug use, continues to be a traffic safety problem in Will County as well as throughout Illinois.

On this site, Will County vehicle crashes involving DUI are discussed in posts found under the “DUI” category.  As seen in the accidents discussed in these posts, many serious injuries – as well as fatal injuries – have resulted due to drivers who are impaired while they drive.  The types of accidents that result due to impaired driving is broad, and common accidents that occur due to impairment include loss of control accidents as well as accidents in which the vehicle leaves the roadway.

There was a fatal traffic accident early Saturday morning (January 20, 2018) in which a driver was charged with DUI.  The crash involved four vehicles, and it happened on I-55 near I-355.

One person, identified by the Will County Coroner’s Office as Carlos A. Ortiz, Jr., 31, of Plainfield, was pronounced dead after being taken to AMITA Hospital in Bolingbrook.  He was a driver of one of the vehicles involved in the crash.

The accident is discussed in a number of media sources, including the January 20, 2018 Daily Southtown article titled “1 dead, 1 charged with DUI after 4-vehicle crash on I-55.”  An excerpt from the article:

The accident took place about 1:52 a.m. just south of I-355, according to a press release from Illinois State Police.

An accident investigation is being conducted.  The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Will County accident in which a driver was charged with DUI can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the January 22, 2018 wspynews.com article titled “Plainfield Man Killed in Weekend Crash in Will County.”

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed regarding a fatal crash in Will County that occurred near Channahon.  The accident occurred Interstate 55 (I-55) on August 9, 2017.

The wrongful death lawsuit and underlying crash is discussed in a number of media sources, including the January 10, 2018 The Herald-News article titled “Wife of Braidwood man killed in car crash sues driver, family members” as well as the January 12 Joliet Patch article titled “Michael DeBoard’s Family Sues Defendant In DUI Homicide.”

As seen in the articles, the man who was killed in the crash, and on whose behalf the lawsuit was filed, was identified as Michael DeBoard, 60, of Braidford.  He died at the hospital a few days after the accident.

An excerpt from the Patch article, mentioning the driver (Lucas Roth) who is a defendant in the lawsuit:

As for Lucas Roth, he turned just 28 years old this week. He stands accused of driving drunk and driving recklessly when he crashed his parents’ 2014 Kia Optima into DeBoard’s 1997 Ford Aspire. The collision occurred in the left lane of Interstate 55 just west of Bluff Road near Channahon. According to the Illinois State Police, Roth was intoxicated, and he was speeding when he struck the back end of Deboard’s car causing the driver to lose to control, hit an embankment and roll over.

Roth was not injured in the crash.

An excerpt from The Herald-News article:

Lucas Roth was arrested and charged with aggravated driving under the influence causing death and bodily harm in connection with a crash Aug. 9 in which Michael DeBoard was killed.

Roth was allegedly the driver of a Kia Optima that crashed into Michael DeBoard’s Ford Aspire on I-55 near Bluff Road in Channahon. Police alleged he had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more while he was driving.

Additional details regarding the fatal crash, as well as the allegations made in the wrongful death lawsuit, can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the sources mentioned above.

In the early-morning hours of Friday June 30, 2017 a “head-on collision” occurred between a pickup truck and car in unincorporated Minooka.

The fatal crash is discussed in the Joliet Patch article of June 30, 2017, titled “DUI, Marijuana Charges In Crash That Killed Shorewood Woman” as well as the July 3 newstrib.com article titled “Fatal crash in Kendall County Leads to charges against La Salle County man.”

Notable excerpts from the Patch article include:

A 23-year-old man from Marseilles has been cited on suspicion of driving under the influence along with other traffic violations and drug infractions in connection with a head-on crash that killed a pregnant Shorewood woman early Friday morning. Alexis S. Danley, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene along Ridge Road near Khater Drive, an unincorporated area of Minooka. On Friday afternoon, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office announced that the driver of the truck who struck Danley’s vehicle, Jacob R. Kaminski, is facing several offenses in connection with the fatal collision.

also:

As for Kaminski, he is being hospitalized at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. He has been issued traffic citations for driving under the influence of alcohol, operating an uninsured vehicle, failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash and disobeying a no-passing zone. In addition, Kaminski received citations for possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of less than 10 grams of cannabis.

This fatal crash remains under investigation.

Additional details can be seen in the articles mentioned above.

Drunk driving as well as driving while impaired on drugs continues to be a problematical issue with regard to safe travel in Will County as well as Illinois in general.

On this site, Will County vehicle crashes that have involved DUI are discussed in posts found under the “DUI” category.  As seen in these accidents, serious injuries as well as fatal injuries have resulted from these crashes.  These crashes have included “wrong-way driver” accidents, “chain reaction” crashes, and vehicle rollovers.

The November 6, 2016 Joliet Patch article (“Will County Prosecutor Honored by Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists“) discusses various aspects of a Will County assistant state’s attorney in the prosecution of drunken driving cases.

An excerpt from the article, regarding one case:

Most notably, she led the prosecution team that secured a conviction and a 9-1/2 year prison term for Cecil Conner, a drunken driver who caused a one-car wreck that killed a 5-year-old boy in May 2010 in south suburban Steger. Michael Langford Jr., the son of Conner’s girlfriend, had been sleeping in the backseat when the car crossed the center line, drove across several lawns, ripped down a fence and collided with a pine tree at between 66-73 mph. Conner’s blood-alcohol level tested at .180.

That case is further discussed in the January 21, 2012 Chicago Tribune article titled “Steger man gets 9.5 years for fatal DUI.”

There was a five-car “chain-reaction” crash Thursday (August 11, 2016) in Joliet.  A woman was later charged with DUI in connection with the accident.

This crash is discussed in a variety of media sources, including the August 12, 2016 Joliet Patch article titled “Drunken Driver Causes 5-Vehicle Crash that sends 4 to Hospital:  Police.”

As seen in the article, a 50-year-old woman (Maria Garcia) driving a Honda “rear-ended” a Ford F150 at the intersection of Jackson Street and Collin Street at approximately 7:26 p.m.  After that initial collision, a “chain-reaction” crash occurred in which other vehicles were struck.  In all, five vehicles were involved and four people were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their accident injuries.  None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening in nature.

An excerpt from the article:

Garcia was arrested for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane usage, no valid driver’s license and no insurance.

Additional details regarding this Will County multi-vehicle crash can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Joliet Patch article mentioned above.

There has been an accident on Interstate 55 (I-55) in Bolingbrook early Friday morning (May 20, 2016) in which an Illinois State Police (ISP) trooper has been injured.  A man has been charged with a DUI in connection with the accident.

According to the ISP, the accident happened at approximately 12:18 a.m., as ISP troopers were attending to a vehicle they had pulled over on the right shoulder of the expressway.

At that time, a northbound vehicle drove onto the shoulder and struck the parked police car, which in turn struck the ISP trooper.  At the time of the crash, the squad car had its lights activated.

The ISP trooper was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital for treatment of his injuries.  Although they weren’t considered to be “life-threatening” in nature, they were described as being “severe and significant.”

An excerpt from the May 20, 2016 Bolingbrook Patch article titled “State Trooper Injured After Drunken Driver Plows Into Squad Car“:

The other officer and the driver of the car they had pulled over were uninjured.

Daniel M. Gaeta, a 24-year-old Joliet man, has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence.

Additional details concerning this Will County accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Bolingbrook Patch article mentioned above as well as the May 20 abc7chicago.com article titled “Illinois state trooper by alleged DUI driver on inbound I-55 near Weber Road in Romeoville.”