An East Chicago man is facing four felony counts of drunk driving and leaving the scene, in the wake of a car accident in a construction zone that has claimed the life of an Indiana man.
A judge on Tuesday denied a request by the defendant to be released from jail to take a final exam, according to ABC 7.
As we reported earlier this week on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, the worker was flown by medical helicopter to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition with head and leg injuries. He died Sunday as a result of his injuries. Charges against the defendant have since been upgraded as a result of the worker’s death.
The defendant’s mother called police after seeing his car had been involved in an accident. Illinois State Police found him passed out on the couch. The driver reportedly told police he had drank a lot and then drove home and thought he had hit a construction barrel.
The road worker had been filling cracks along westbound I-94 near Burns Harbor at about 3 a.m. when he was hit by a red Chevy Cavalier, which fled the scene. The temporary construction zone was well posted with message boards, construction barrels and signs.
It’s the second time in less than a month that an arrest has been made in connection with a serious highway construction zone accident. We reported on our Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog earlier this month that a Gary Indiana man had been arrested for hitting a road crew member on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is urging drivers to obey the law — move over and slow down for construction workers as summer road work begins in earnest.
Scott’s Law requires Illinois motorists to move over whenever possible and to slow down for all emergency and construction vehicles. The law provides for a fine of up to $10,000 for violations and motorists who are cited must appear in court and face a license suspension. The law is named for Chicago Fire Department Lt. Scott Glenn, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while working an accident scene on the Dan Ryan Expressway.