Many Illinois residents take one or more medications for either chronic or acute ailments. Some of them warn against drinking alcohol when taken, but many people believe that it is okay to drink after a few hours have passed. Unfortunately, a village trustee recently learned that prescription medications plus alcohol could amount to drunk driving even after several hours have passed.
The trustee in question, Michael Lawler, says he took a medication early on Dec. 22. He then attended several holiday parties, and when he believed that alcohol would no longer interact with the medication, he had a few glasses of wine over the course of a few hours. He believed he was okay to drive.
Unfortunately, Lawler failed to realize that the combination of alcohol and medication disoriented him, and he ended up crashing his car on the way home. Police administered field sobriety tests and blood alcohol tests on Lawler, who serves as a village trustee in Bolingbrook, which they say indicated that he was intoxicated. He faces charges for driving under the influence. In his statement, he cautioned other Illinois residents to be careful not to mix medications and alcohol.
As for his defense to the drunk driving charges, even though he admitted to having a few drinks over the course of a few hours, that does not mean that he will be found guilty. Everyone makes mistakes and deserves the chance to present a defense to the charges. He remains innocent until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Joliet, IL Patch, “Drunken Bolingbrook Trustee Crashed Car in Romeoville: Cops“, Joseph Hosey, Dec. 29, 2016
