Illinois police arrested a man who allegedly backed over a motorcyclist on an interstate. The driver was apparently not injured the wreck and is now facing charges for drunk driving and driving recklessly. If convicted, he could spend up to 25 years behind bars.
The wreck occurred shortly after 11 p.m. near the scene of a non-related accident. A police officer was at that first scene, re-opening lanes that had previously been blocked because of the accident. A witness then approached the officer to inform him of a motorcycle accident, and she spotted a nearby vehicle that had stopped across multiple lanes of traffic. She noted it was severely damaged and its airbags had deployed. At that point, she spotted a motorcyclist trapped underneath the rear tires of the vehicle.
The victim was ultimately freed by emergency responders and transported to an area hospital. When questioned, the 66-year-old driver of the car denied knowing how the crash occurred. Witnesses told authorities that they saw the driver speeding when he apparently struck the motorcyclist then put his car into reverse and backed over him.
Authorities claim that the driver submitted to field sobriety testing, on which he performed poorly. He then allegedly admitted that he had taken Oxycodone and drank multiple beers. A Breathalyzer determined that his blood-alcohol content was .13, well above the legal limit. Police also uncovered prescription narcotics in his vehicle and arrested the driver, charging him with an OWI that caused great bodily harm and second degree reckless driving that caused injury.
Drunk driving charges are serious, and people stand to lose their driving privileges quicker than they may expect. Prompt action from Illinois defendants is essential in these types of situations. Although it may feel overwhelming, handling these types of allegations quickly can help most defendants reach the best possible conclusion to their criminal matters.