Earlier this week, a 25-year-old man was charged with drinking and driving and leaving the scene of an accident after striking six cars.
According to the Bartlett Police, a distress call was made reporting a hit-and-run accident. The actual crash occurred at the intersection of Illinois Route 59 and Army Trail Road at about 11:40 p.m. this past Saturday.
The reported witnesses stated to police that there was a black car involved in the accident whose driver fled the scene by foot, according to official reports.
The convicted driver, Antonio Cruz, a 25-year-old of West Chicago, was recklessly driving a 1995 Nissan Maxima southbound on Route 59. He was trying to maneuver in between vehicles stopped in the outside and inside lanes of traffic when he struck five cars.
After fleeing the scene, Antonio Cruz was caught a short distance from the crash, police said. He suffered minor injuries as a result of the crash and was taken to a local hospital. There were no other injuries reported.
Cruz was charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a suspended license, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. He also was cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid and accident, police said.
Cruz is currently being held at the DuPage County Jail in Wheaton where he is waiting to hear a posted bail amount.
DUI Foundation strongly supports the advocacy of knowledge about driving under the influence. We would also like to reinforce the ideal that “a single drunk driving accident can permanently have a negative impact on you, passengers in your vehicle, and anyone else involved in the disaster (drivers and passengers in other automobiles and even pedestrians).”
