Chicago DUI Lawyer Blog

The driver in a fatal McHenry County DUI-related crash was arrested this month while breaking in cars in Crystal Lake, according to police. Urichait Herrera-Garcia, 23, was believed to have fled the county after the tragic October crash. He was indicted by a grand jury on six counts of aggravated DUI more than seven months ago. Herrera-Gracia was finally arraigned on Monday in a McHenry County courtroom.

The single-vehicle crash took place in Lakemoor and resulted in the death of Leonardo Elias, 18, of Round Lake, and injured six others. Police allege that Herrera-Garcia was drunk and speeding in a minivan when it left the roadway, striking a tree.

Police believed that Herrera-Garcia had fled to Mexico until he was arrested in Crystal Lake. He was allegedly caught fleeing an area where officers were responding to reports of a vehicle break-in in progress. Police say he used a false name when charged with the burglary. He eventually admitted his true identity after police questioned him about certain discrepancies including his fingerprints.

Edward Cook, 25, of Aurora, was sentenced on Friday by a Kane County judge to 15 years in prison for the DUI-related crash that killed David Long, 57. Cook was convicted in the death of Long and his dog, who were out for an early morning walk in their Batavia neighborhood approximately one year ago. Cook allegedly drove a car up onto a sidewalk around 6:45 a.m. on July 29, 2009, striking both Long and his dog. Police say he was driving about 50 mph after a night of drinking and drug use, and didn’t have permission from the owner to be driving the vehicle. After the crash, Cook reportedly tried to flee but was caught by police in a nearby backyard. Cook was convicted in May on multiple counts of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide. Kane County prosecutors unsuccessfully tried to bring charges of first-degree murder against Cook.

Aurora man sentenced in Batavia DUI death, www.chicagotribune.com, July 24, 2010

A Naperville man with six prior DUI arrests has been declared unfit for trial. George C. Ford, 37, “has been found unfit to stand trial right now, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder,” said a spokesman for DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett.

A psychologist recently made the finding and the presiding judge continued the case to Aug. 5. However, it will likely take up to a year for Ford to receive treatment and be found fit for trial.

His DUI arrest record goes back at least as far as 2006. On June 10, 2006 Naperville police arrested Ford who was allegedly intoxicated and charged with three counts of DUI and one count of driving without a license as well as driving without insurance.

A Lisle attorney was finally sentenced for a DUI-related accident that seriously injured a Wheaton teen in 2005. Timothy J. Winfield, 43, was ordered to serve 5 months in DuPage county jail, complete 150 hours of public service, continue counseling and wear a alcohol monitoring bracelet during his 30 month probation period. He will be allowed to leave jail during the day to work during the final 120 days of his term.

In 2005, after allegedly running a red light, Winfield’s Cadillac crashed into a Dodge Caravan, sending it into a forest preserve. The 18-year-old female driver was critically injured, suffering a fractured pelvis, severed tendon in her hand, and bruised kidneys. Glass was embedded in her face and her seat belt caused burns on her neck.

Blood tests showed that Winfield had a .10 blood-alcohol content. Defense attorneys argued that alcohol-based antiseptic pads used by the Illinois State Police to perform tests skewed that result. Prosecutors argued for the maximum three-year prison term. His record includes four prior DUI arrests among other offenses.

Manuel Garcia, 48, of Woodstock was sentenced to seven years in prison after his eighth drunk driving conviction and his fifth conviction for driving on a revoked license. Garcia’s history of drunk driving began in 1983 with incidents in Texas and Illinois. State Attorney Dave Johnston asked for a fifteen year prison sentence, stating that “we have no reason to believe the defendant will stop drinking and driving.” A McHenry County Judge could have sentenced him to between 4 and 15 years in prison for the DUI charge and to between 1 and 3 years in prison for driving on a revoked license. The Judge recommended that he be sent to a state prison that offers an alcohol treatment program.

8th DUI nets man 7 years, www.nwherald.com, July 3, 2010

A Northwest side 20-year-old, Szymon Zawadzki, has been charged with two counts of reckless homicide, two counts of aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death, one count of aggravated DUI resulting in great bodily harm, one count of improper lane usage, one count of failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and no insurance.

He is allegedly responsible for the crash in which Veronica Rojas, 18, and Natalie Stygar, 17, of the Northwest Side were killed. The crash occurred Monday in Wilmette around 2:30 a.m., when Zawadzki’s car went off the road and struck a fire hydrant, then a tree and ultimately ended up in the front yard of a home. A third girl sitting in the backseat was critically injured, while a front seat passenger was treated and released from Evanston Hospital.

Man charged in Wilmette crash that killed 2, www.abc7chicago.com, June 30, 2010