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Terry Robinson, 48, was taking his 19-year-old daughter to work in Calumet City when he allegedly ignored the crossing signals and drove onto the railroad tracks at 97th Street and South Eggleston Avenue. His Pontiac Grand Prix was struck on the passenger side by an Amtrak train bound for New York. The train was going 40 mph and Robinson’s daughter, Patricia, received the brunt of the impact. She was pronounced dead later that night at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Her father had allegedly been drinking with a BAC just below the .08 percent limit.

Terry Robinson was recently paroled four months prior to the accident for attempted burglary. He was also convicted for delivery of a controlled substance in 1994. Robinson has more than 50 traffic citations on his driving record, including numerous arrests for driving on a revoked or suspended license. Robinson is now being charged with reckless homicide for the death of his daughter.

Dad charged after daughter killed in car-train crash, www.chicagobreakingnews.com, April 12, 2011

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25 year old and mother of one, Michelle Eustis, died of head injuries and trauma after her boyfriend allegedly struck the horse she and a friend were riding with his truck.

Eustis, her friend Heather France, and a few others were socializing in a Balmoral Park barn in Crete when the two girls decided to take Rendezvous, a horse trained by Eustis’ father, out for a ride bareback late that night. When the women didn’t return after a half hour, Eustis’ boyfriend, Angus Lake, jumped into his Dodge Ram and went looking for them.

An accident reconstruction determined Lake came up on the women too fast and tried to brake, sending his truck into a slide and striking the horse. Lake admitted to having as many as six shots before getting into his vehicle. His blood alcohol level was 0.147, nearly twice the legal limit. France suffered a broken leg and shoulder and may have been left partially paralyzed by the accident.

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The Illinois tollway announced today that it will offer drivers the ability to check images of license plates and dispute tollway fines online. If you receive a violation notice, there is now a way to verify that it was your vehicle that missed the toll. Illinoistollway.com now has a feature that allows users to determine whether the violation was proper issued.

The Illinois tollway generates violations after three missed tolls in a two-year period. After review, a driver may dispute a mistake citing either “plate incorrect” or “missing image.” The Illinois State Roll Highway Authority will review these disputes and send decisions via email. This procedure saves a considerable amount of time from the old process.

During a test period in March, almost 900 drivers viewed license plate images using the new feature. Forty disputes were filed through the website during this timeframe.

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Edward Stapinski, 36, was facing reckless homicide charges after his 2009 DUI crash, but those charges were dismissed after he plead guilty last Monday to aggravated driving under the influence. Stapinski was sentenced at the Bridgeview Courthouse to six years in prison of which 85 percent must be served.

Stapinski was off-duty when he was arrested for his DUI accident in December of 2009. According to prosecutors, Stapinski was going 80 mph heading south on the Stevenson when he swerved into the left shoulder and struck the concrete median. His vehicle catapulted over the barrier into the opposite lanes of traffic and struck a vehicle driven by Man K. “Mike” Wong. Wong was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Stapinski admitted to drinking beer at a West Loop bar from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. He declined a Breathalyzer test at the scene of the crash but responding officers reported he had a strong smell of alcohol, his eyes were bloodshot and he had slurred speech. Blood analysis done at the hospital showed his blood alcohol level to be 0.223 percent, which is more than three times the legal limit.

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Jeff Kuna, 38, started teaching driver’s education and physical education on August 21, 2008. But after hearing about his recent DUI arrest, Valley View School District reportedly swapped his classes so he isn’t teaching driver’s education any longer. Kuna is also the Romeoville High School’s head football coach.

Kuna was arrested on February 20, 2011 for driving under the influence and speeding on Route 126 and Schlapp Road. He was pulled over with three passengers in his car at 3:12 a.m.

If convicted, Kuna could face up to one year in jail, $2,500.00 in fines and have his driver’s license revoked.

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John Jackson, 62, was spotted by Chicago Police driving south on Halsted with his headlights off. Upon pulling him over, the officers found did not have a valid driver’s license or proof of insurance, and believed that he was under the influence of alcohol.

According to police reports, when the officers asked Jackson if he had been drinking he stated, “I had a little, I’m not drunk. I’m suspended for a DUI, I go to court tomorrow.” After searching his vehicle, police allegedly discovered a half empty bottle of Hennessey Cognac.

Jackson was given a Breathalyzer test and charged with felony aggravated DUI, misdemeanor driving on a suspended license, and cited for driving without insurance, no headlights, and illegal transportation of alcohol.

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Enrique Lopez, 26, a Cook County Juvenile Counselor was allegedly found passed out in his vehicle on the night of St. Patricks Day.

When police approached Lopez he refused to exit the vehicle. Officers claim that Lopez seemed confused, handing over his baseball cap when asked for his keys. The officers attempted to remove him from his Infiniti G35 after he failed to follow orders but he struggled with them and in the scuffle allegedly punched one of the officers in the face. After he was subdued, police found a plastic bag containing cannabis on the ground. Lopez was charged with DUI, reckless driving, possession of marijuana and resisting an officer.

Juvy counselor arrested on DUI, pot charges, www.nbcchicago.com, March 20, 2011

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Henry Benjamin III, 37, was arrested for DUI and issued several citations after allegedly driving a stolen truck while under the influence. Police reports indicate that Benjamin was spotted in a 1996 Dodge pick-up truck swerving and speeding on Route 25 in Carpentersville, Illinois.

Police pulled over the truck and determined that Benjamin was intoxicated after observing the driver’s bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and odor of alcohol. According to police reports, Benjamin argued with the officers, and eventually one of the officers reached in the truck to grab him. Benjamin began driving off while dragging the officer, who was partially in the truck, for several feet. The officer let go of the truck and Benjamin sped off, starting a police chase. Benjamin, reportedly struck three marked squad cars before pulling over to flee on foot.

Two of the injured officers required treatment at a nearby hospital. Benjamin was treated and released into police custody.

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Jose Rodriguez, 21, plead guilty for driving under the influence and was sentenced to 24 months of probation.

Rodriguez was charged with aggravated DUI after he hit an off-duty FBI agent who was driving to a Labor Day half-marathon. The agent, Elizabeta Petruc, will likely have to be out of work for 12-18 months due to the injuries caused by the accident. Her left wrist, ankle and legs were broken, one knee was also badly damaged. Both cars caught fire after the accident.

Evidence showed that Rodriguez had been driving 60-70 mph when he struck Petruc’s vehicle and his blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit. Rodriquez apologized through in interpreter in court. He will have to participate in an alcohol safety program and perform 100 hours of community service.

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Radio personality Harry Teinowitz was arrested on March 4th for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol. Police were called by a witness who reported Teinowitz had swerved across all four lanes of traffic and almost struck his vehicle several times. Teinowitz was charged with improper lane usage and DUI after Breathalyzer results showed his blood alcohol content was .131 percent.

According to a Skokie police report he had fresh marijuana residue on his shirt and a strong odor of pot coming from his vehicle. When questioned about the marijuana, Teinowitz told the officer that his car was recently parked using a valet service and the driver must have smoked pot in his car. He denied having any pot. His driver’s license was taken away and he was released on a $1000 D-bond. His vehicle was impounded and is scheduled to appear in court on March 23, 2011.

Teinowitz made an announcement on his show saying he made “a horrible mistake in judgement.”

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