Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A fatal Chicago area car accident has been caused by an intoxicated driver with an alleged blood alcohol level of .291, more than 3 times the legal limit in Illinois, according to Fox News Chicago.
The Chicago motorist allegedly watched the Bears game on Sunday in an Oak Lawn bar where he reportedly drank about 8 beers and had a shot of alcohol. He then drove to another Oak Lawn bar and continued consuming alcohol.
After the man left the second bar on Sunday night, he fell asleep in his Ford Explorer parked outside. When he awoke, he drove north on Cicero Avenue and allegedly crossed into the southbound lane where he crashed head-on into a GMC Yukon. A Cook County State’s Attorney official has stated the driver did not have on his headlights at the time of the accident.
All three passengers in the Yukon were takenby ambulance to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where the driver of the Yukon was pronounced dead. His wife suffered a broken wrist and a broken pelvis and is expected to undergo several surgeries in the coming weeks. The couple’s 15-year-old daughter was also in the SUV and luckily suffered only minor injuries.
The driver of the Explorer has been charged with two counts of aggravated DUI and is being held on $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 16, 2011 at the Bridgeview Courthouse.
It is not been reported if a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death attorney is involved in the case yet. In an accident like this, the victims will possibly have two different claims. First, the car accident lawyer will pursue a civil claim against the DUI driver. Further, the attorney will explore an Illinois dram shop claim against the Tavern that may have over-served the motorist.