Thread: Suspect drank before fatal hit and run

Prosecutors: Suspect drank before fatal hit-run

By Carlos Sadovi
Tribune staff reporter
Published December 27, 2006, 2:10 PM CST


A Southwest Side man accused of killing two people and injuring two others in a hit-and-run collision Christmas Day admitted to police that he had drunk 8 or 9 beers and was on his way to get more when the crash occurred, a prosecutor said at a bond hearing today.

Jose Diaz-Perez, 21, of the 5000 block of South California Avenue, was ordered held on $900,000 bail by Cook County Criminal Court Judge Raymond Myles.



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Killed in the collision around 4 a.m. Monday were Daniel Perry, 33, and Megan McMahon, 26. They were sitting in the back seat of a car that was rammed in the intersection of California Avenue and Augusta Boulevard, near the Humboldt Park neighborhood, by the pickup truck that Diaz-Perez allegedly was driving.

Assistant Cook County State's Atty. Maria Augustus said Diaz-Perez was behind the wheel of the pickup when he entered the intersection at a high rate of speed and struck a Toyota Corolla in which Perry and McMahon were traveling north on California Avenue. The driver of the Toyota suffered a lacerated liver and has been released from a hospital. Another passenger also was treated and released, Augustus said.

Diaz-Perez is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, leaving the scene of an accident where a death occurred, aggravated DUI, driving without a license and driving without insurance, Augustus said.

According to Diaz-Perez and a passenger in his truck, Diaz-Perez entered the intersection on a yellow light, Augustus said.

Immediately after the crash, the driver and his passenger left their truck and ran away through an alley, according to Augustus. Diaz-Perez and his passenger, who has not been charged with a crime, were found by Chicago police about 25 minutes later, staggering, on Chicago Avenue, Augustus said. Officers saw small bruises and facial abrasions on both men, she said.

They were taken back to the scene where Diaz-Perez told an officer that he was driving the truck that was registered to his brother. He was arrested and later failed a sobriety test, registering a .22 blood alcohol level, nearly three times the legal limit, more than two hours after the crash, Augustus said.

Diaz-Perez admitted to Chicago Police Detectives to driving the truck involved in the crash after drinking nearly 10 beers. His passenger told investigators that the defendant drank 18 beers.

"The defendant was driving to get more beer when the crash occurred," Augustus said.

Diaz-Perez's passenger told investigators that neither of them went to the other car to check on the conditions of those inside and ran away instead, Augustus said.

In July 2005 Diaz-Perez received 6 months supervision for driving without a license, Augustus said.



Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/cust ... wsroom-hed

Immediately after the crash, the driver and his passenger left their truck and ran away through an alley, according to Augustus.

How typical. Crashes, kills people and then runs. The lowest of the low.

We need that electronic bill board where the number changes for every american citizens killed by illegals!

Nittygrittywrote:

We need that electronic bill board where the number changes for every american citizens killed by illegals!

.....on main street of every city in the USA

Chicago has become a cesspool of illegals and their gangs. Graffiti all over the place. House values have gone way down. Good peaceful clean neighborhoods turned into drug running slums where an American cannot walk down the street without fear of their lives. Yes Washington we Americans sure want more of this kind of third world in our land we worked so hard to build.

I just read where the crime rates are up in NY and Chicago, yet they like their cheap illegal labor so much!