Chicago DUI Lawyer Blog

William McCann, 66, was walking home when a 2002 Dodge Neon hit him as he was crossing the street. McCann hit the windshield and fell to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, after allegedly running over him and dragging him about 150 feet, stopped the car and took off running on foot. Off-duty Chicago Police Officer Zachary Cuatchon as well as another man identified as Adalberto Aceves, who were on the way home from work, witnessed the driver fleeing from the scene and took off after him. They were both able to tackle the driver and restrain him while a third man went to Cuatchon’s car to get his handcuffs.

Saul Chaves, 35, the driver of the vehicle, faces two felony charges, aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident involving bodily injury or death.

Kimberly Bradley, 39, is facing felony and misdemeanor DUI charges after an accident that left two people in her vehicle dead and nine others also in the car injured. The 2003 Mazda SUV Bradley was driving northbound on South Kostner flipped when she attempted to pass the vehicle in front of hers and struck the car causing her to lose control of her vehicle and crash head-on into another vehicle in the oncoming lane of traffic.

Bradley’s vehicle flipped over, throwing several of the passengers who were not wearing seat belts from the SUV and entrapping others. All 11 people in her vehicle were injured and sent to the hospital suffering brain and lung injuries, broken bones, fractures, back injuries and lacerations. Three remained intubated on a ventilator in critical condition. The driver of the other vehicle was not hospitalized. Two of the victims, Jarrell Billingsley, 19, and a unidentified woman in her 40’s were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Cook County prosecutors say Bradley’s blood alcohol content after conversion was just over twice the legal limit at .165 percent. She signed a handwritten statement admitting to drinking beer that night and being the driver of the SUV. Bradley is charged with two counts of aggravated DUI involving an accident resulting in death, seven counts of aggravated DUI involving an accident resulting in great bodily harm, and one count of DUI involving an accident resulting in great bodily harm to a passenger under 16. She is also being charged with misdemeanor counts of DUI, driving on a suspended license, DUI blood alcohol content over 0.08 percent. Bradley received citations for driving to the left of center and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.

25 year old and mother of one, Michelle Eustis, died of head injuries and trauma after her boyfriend allegedly struck the horse she and a friend were riding with his truck.

Eustis, her friend Heather France, and a few others were socializing in a Balmoral Park barn in Crete when the two girls decided to take Rendezvous, a horse trained by Eustis’ father, out for a ride bareback late that night. When the women didn’t return after a half hour, Eustis’ boyfriend, Angus Lake, jumped into his Dodge Ram and went looking for them.

An accident reconstruction determined Lake came up on the women too fast and tried to brake, sending his truck into a slide and striking the horse. Lake admitted to having as many as six shots before getting into his vehicle. His blood alcohol level was 0.147, nearly twice the legal limit. France suffered a broken leg and shoulder and may have been left partially paralyzed by the accident.