Illinois police believe that a man accused of a drunk driving accident has lied to them in order to escape criminal punishment. The crash occurred last year near the town of Alhambra. Investigators interviewed one of the occupants of the cars involved in the crash and were told there was another man driving the car who ran away from the scene of the accident. When the man was taken to the hospital, his blood alcohol level allegedly tested at 1.4 percent, leading investigators to charge him with drunk driving.
The crash happened on March 25. The victim was traveling to his work at the Gateway Distributing Company when his vehicle collided with a 2000 Chevy Blazer. The Blazer had been traveling northbound on Route 4 when it veered over the center line, crashing head-on into the man’s 2003 Dodge Neon. When the Blazer occupant was pulled out of the vehicle, he was asked many times if someone else had been in the vehicle. Police allege the man had said no.
However, an Illinois special agent, testified the man had told her that on the night of the accident, he met someone at the races and was being given a ride home. The agent allegedly interviewed two of the man’s friends who claim the man never went to the races but instead went to another residence where they talked and drank beer. The friends said they left in separate cars.
The man has since been charged with two counts of aggravated driving while under the influence, causing death. Whether or not the man was actually driving the car that led to this deadly drunk driving accident is unknown, but he is facing serious legal troubles in Georgia. Doubt has been cast on this man’s story but it does not mean he is guilty. He will face an uphill legal battle but hopefully he will be able to have the charges reduced or dismissed completely once he is in court.
Source: The Edwardsville Intelligencer, “Police: Driver in fatal accident lied,” Steve Horrell, June 21, 2012