Woman Arrested for DUI is Killed on Eisenhower Moments After Release

Diana Paz, 35, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence during an early Friday morning stop. About two hours later she was released and dropped off at a BP gas station near the Eisenhower Expressway. Thirty minutes later she was struck and killed as she walked along the median of the expressway.

Paz was arrested for DUI after she refused a Breathalyzer and failed field sobriety test.

Paz’s family is questioning why the police released her so close to the highway if she was still under the influence. However, police said in a statement that she was “alert” at the time they dropped her off and that she had stated that she had “no family or means of transportation.” Paz requested a ride to a nearby gas station and, as a courtesy, the trooper dropped her off after obtaining approval from the supervisor.

State police say they are not sure why she was on the median but are reviewing video footage from the gas station.

Woman killed on Eisenhower after police release her for DUI, www.chicagotribune.com, September 3, 2011