Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
As Chicago auto accident lawyers from Abels & Annes reported to yesterday, an Illinois hit-and-run pedestrian accident has caused the death of a man in his 30s on the Stevenson Expressway on Thursday evening. It is now being reported by the Chicago Tribune that the at fault driver has been caught by police and charged with DUI.
The defendant, a 40-year-old Chicago resident from the 5400 block of S. Ellis Ave., was allegedly headed northbound on the interstate near Damen Avenue around 10:10 PM when he drove onto the right shoulder and hit a pedestrian who was standing by his disabled vehicle. The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead at 11:34 PM.
The driver fled the scene after the collision, but occurrence witnesses described his vehicle to Illinois state troopers and he was arrested a short time later near his home. Blood-alcohol testing after arrest showed the driver had a BAC of .161, just over twice the Illinois legal limit. The defendant reportedly admitted consuming alcohol prior to the incident.
Judge Peggy Chiampas has set bail for the defendant at $1 million. It is also being reported that the driver has been convicted of DUI three prior occasions, and had just completed probation in August from an Aggravated DUI. It is likely that the criminal charges in this matter will be upgraded to felonies by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office due to the fatality and the defendant’s driving history.
It has not been reported if an Illinois pedestrian accident lawyer is involved in the case yet.
Click here to read the story as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.