Distracted DUI driver causes fatal Chicago crash on Memorial Day

A female motorist that was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol on Monday lost control of her car and crashed, resulting in the death of a baby and injuring three other kids, according to the Chicago Tribune. She reportedly was picking up a chip when she lost control of her vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

The DUI driver, 47-year-old woman who resides in the 5200 block of S. Paulina Street, is now facing reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence charges, both felonies. A judge set her bail at $350,000, according to a spokeswoman from the state's attorney's office. Prosecutors allege the defendants blood-alcohol level was .164, over twice the legal limit in Illinois.

The at fault driver had seven passengers in the 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass that she was driving. The accident took place around 6:30 PM on Memorial Day. The incident closed the expressway for around two hours, causing a significant holiday traffic on Monday night. The vehicle is only built to accommodate five occupants, so none of the children were in seatbelts or car seats at the time of the crash.

She stuck a guard rail in the area of 75th St., causing the vehicle to spin multiple times and roll over. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that children were ejected from the vehicle.

Investigating Illinois state troopers stated the driver smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot, glassy eyes. She also admitted that she drank a lot of beer at a barbecue, and there were several open cans of beer inside the vehicle. Witnesses also saw the car swerving.

An 11-month-old boy lost his life in the accident. He was just a week away from his first birthday.

Another passenger, an eight-year-old boy, is in critical condition with a lacerated liver. He was rushed by ambulance to University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital. Two other passengers, a three-year-old girl and a four-year-old girl, sustained skull fractures. A six-year-old boy was also seriously hurt, but the nature of his injuries were not stated. All of the injured children were taken to Comer.

Two adults were also critically injured in the crash. One was taken by ambulance to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County and the other was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The Tribune further reports that according to the Illinois Secretary of State's office, the DUI motorist at a good driving record and a valid license.

Is was not reported if an Illinois personal injury lawyer is involved in the case or if a negligence lawsuit is been filed.

While our hearts go out to the victims and their families in this accident, this is a good example of the dangers of distracted driving. It's not just texting and cell phones that can cause a driver to take their eyes off the road. It can also be something as simple as leaning over to pick up food or coffee, or even adjusting the car stereo.

Illinois motorists should be aware that losing that fraction of a second of reaction time can be the difference between life and death. It's better to wait until you are at a safer location.

Further, when you combine distracted driving with a motorist under the influence of alcohol, that is an especially dangerous combination.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Memorial Day driving safety tips – 2011

With Memorial Day around the corner, many of my clients, and especially my readers who have found me on my auto lawyer blog, ask for driving safety tips to help make their road trips go smoothly – and hopefully car accident-free. I’m probably the only lawyer who says to people, “I hope you never need my help,” because that unfortunately means something bad has happened already.

According to AAA Michigan, more than 1.1 million Michiganians will travel during the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. And during last Memorial Day weekend, the Michigan State Police report 15 people died in 14 fatal crashes, up from 11 in 2009.

Below are some tried and true safety tip favorites from our injury attorneys:

Buckle up
Memorial Day is a dangerous time to travel, because there are more people on the roads, and the number of drunks and drunk drivers is higher as well. That’s part of the reason the Michigan State Police  kick off their annual seat belt and drunk driving campaigns around this time of year. So, safety first. Don’t start your car until you and the kids are buckled into a car seat or booster seat – even for short trips.

Don’t drive distracted  - and no texting while driving
Drivers who are texting are 23 times more likely to get into a car accident. No cell phones or texting. If you really must send that text message, pull over first. And believe it or not, having seen now more than one serious auto accident case due to people using the internet and ipad while driving (yes, while driving) let’s wait until we’re home for that. Be careful with eating since it can cause drowsiness while driving.

Road construction detours
Planning your driving route this Memorial Day weekend should involve more than glancing at a map. Road construction is getting under way, and detours will be implemented throughout the country. Go online to check your state’s Department of Transportation site, where you can find the most up-to-date detour information. With your detours in mind, you can use a mapping site like Google Maps that allows you to adjust your route. Here’s the Michigan Department of Transportation website.

Slow down
Slow down and be extra aware in construction areas, around maintenance crews and whenever you come upon an emergency vehicle or any other vehicle on the side of the road. A little more caution can save many lives.

Look out for potholes
Driving through just one big pothole can blow or weaken a tire, bend a wheel and knock a vehicle out of alignment. Slow down as much as traffic will allow if avoiding a pothole isn’t possible. Drive around puddles, as they can be hiding rain-filled potholes.

Gas prices
There is no magic trick to avoid paying the price of gas. But you can prepare by searching out the best gas prices available. If you use a Smartphone, try apps that can point you toward the lowest prices. If you’re not Smartphone equipped, check gas price on websites like Gasbuddy.com before you leave for your vacation, to get an idea of where the values are.

Check your auto insurance
Did you know more than 50 percent of the drivers in Detroit and Flint do not have auto insurance? With so many uninsured drivers, now is a great time to make sure you have uninsured and underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage on your policy. This is extra insurance you can purchase to make sure you’re protected in case of a car accident with an uninsured driver, or a driver who does not have enough auto insurance.

Buy the additional rental car insurance
There are more than a hundred auto insurance companies writing Michigan No-Fault policies, so it’s best to call your auto insurance agent before a trip, to see how your No-Fault coverage applies in case of an auto accident. But it comes to renting a car – especially when we’re talking about out-of-state rental cars – insurance attorneys  will almost always recommend purchasing the additional rental car coverage.

Keep your roadside assistance numbers handy
Does your auto insurance policy include rental reimbursement and roadside assistance coverage? If your car breaks down and you need to have it towed or rent another one, who will pay for it? Have your roadside assistance phone number handy, as well as your claim number.

Keep in mind, AAA Michigan is partnering with the Michigan State Police (MSP) in supporting Operation C.A.R.E. (Combined Accident Reduction Effort). Bright yellow banners will be posted at rest areas statewide, with many sites offering complimentary coffee and refreshments. In addition, Operation C.A.R.E. volunteers will provide traffic safety information throughout the summer holiday weekends.

Our injury attorneys wish you a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend. Please keep the above tips in mind to protect yourself, your family and other Michigan drivers this holiday.

- Steven Gursten is recognized as one of the nation’s top injury attorneys handling serious car and truck accident lawsuits and  No-Fault litigation. He routinely writes about safe driving and the auto laws in Michigan, and is available for comment.

- Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, by Bruce Berrien

Related information:

10 foods to avoid while driving

3 tips to protect yourself when renting a car

Michigan auto accident checklist - Before a car accident

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our injury attorneys.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Memorial Day Weekend a Dangerous Time for Chicago Car Accidents

The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes wish each of you a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Whether on the road, on a boat or elsewhere with friends and family, please stay safe and celebrate responsibly.

Local law officials recently unveiled their plans to help reduce the risk of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will be operating hundreds of additional seat belt enforcement zones. They'll be enforcing seat belt regulations as the "Click It or Ticket" campaign celebrates its 10th anniversary. They will also cracking down on intoxicated drivers -- one of the primary causes of motor vehicle accidents during this summer kickoff weekend.

“Memorial Day is a special time dedicated to the remembrance and reconciliation of those in armed forces who gave their lives to protect our values, freedom and democracy,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “The holiday weekend serves as an historical, symbolic and solemn time, often spent with family and friends, and shouldn’t be tainted by impaired drivers or other law violators. If Illinois motorists plan to travel over Memorial Day weekend, we strongly encourage them to continue to drive sober and buckle up, every trip, every time.”

Our Chicago car accident attorneys understand that drinking and driving is a primary threat over any holiday weekend. If you're busted you can face jail time, a number of fines, license revocation, criminal charges, insurance rate hikes and much more. Drunk driving accidents frequently change lives -- or end them.

"The Illinois State Police is committed to making this summer as safe as possible through directed enforcement initiatives,” said Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau, “We are encouraged by the increase in the number of motorists who are wearing seat belts, and are optimistic the combination of awareness, seat belt compliance and enforcement will help reduce fatalities on Illinois roadways.”

Estimates, from 2010 data show that the 12:00 a.m. to 2:59 a.m. time period resulted in nearly 100 motorist deaths on Illinois roadways. The 3:00 a.m. to 5:59 a.m. time period was the second most deadly time for traffic accidents.

Nearly $2 million in federal funds has been made available to the Illinois State Police, the IDOT and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Police for the increased patrol. In addition to these funds, more than 500 local law enforcement agencies will be stepping up their efforts to keep motorists safe this weekend to enforce impaired driving patrols for the next two-weeks.

More than 50 percent of these patrol units will operate late-evening hours (11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.). The state should expect to see more than 60 roadside impaired driving enforcement safety checks.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 11,000 fatalities from traffic accidents involving a drunk driver in 2009 in the United States. These accidents made up more than 30 percent of all traffic accident fatalities for the year. The state of Illinois saw nearly 400 fatalities from traffic accidents that involved an impaired driver in 2009.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a drunk driver, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer