Chicago DUI Lawyer Blog

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.

The Eustis family had just moved to Crete two years prior. Michelle and her six year old daughter Haylee lived with her parents. Eustis had just started dating Lake, a longtime family friend about a month before the accident.

Lake is charged with four felony counts of driving under the influence.

Boyfriend charged with DUI in horse trainer's Balmoral Park death, www.chicagobreakingnews.com, April 12, 2011

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.

It's easier to see if toll violations are bona fide, www.dailyherald.com, April 25, 2011

Nancy Spencer, 33, of Chicago is charged with felony driving under the influence stemming from a 2010 crash that killed a mother and her teenage son as they were headed home from a funeral for the boy's grandmother. Originally, the DUI was charged as a misdemeanor. However, the charge was upgraded to aggravated felony DUI on Tuesday.

Prosecutors say the charges were upgraded after lab results matched Spencer's DNA with blood found on the driver's side air bag, placing her behind the wheel at the time of the crash. Spencer was allegedly traveling at a high rate of speed when she swerved to go around a stopped vehicle, at which time she lost control of her car, which flipped onto its side and struck a tree and light pole. Damari McCaster, 13, and his mother, Lavishia Penn, 34, were in the back seat of Spencer's car and pinned down in the wreckage. A third passenger was not injured.

Tests performed at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn allegedly showed Spencer had a BAC of .17, just over twice the legal limit. She allegedly admitted to drinking 3 and a half glasses of wine.

Woman facing upgraded charges in fatal DUI, www.chicagotribune.com, April 20, 2011

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.

Former Lockport cop gets 6 years in fatal DUI, www.chicagobreakingnews.com, April 5, 2011

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.

Romeoville football coach's DUI case continued, www.suntimes.com, April 4, 2011

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.

Man arrested for DUI hours before hearing on another DUI charge, www.suntimes.com, March 23, 2011

Roel Valle, Lynwood Village Clerk, has been indicted for charges arising from his February DUI crash that resulted in the death of a young mother of four.

The victim, Melikah Little, was a passenger in the car struck by Valle's vehicle. The vehicle was hit head-on while traveling the wrong way on Route 394. Valle then struck a second vehicle head-on that was being driven by Little's husband, Manuel L. Little, who was traveling directly behind his wife.

Reckless homicide involving a vehicle can be punishable with 2-5 years in prison. However, DUI causing death can be punishable with 3-14 years in prison. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Valle was held on a $250,000 bond.

Lynwood Village clerk Roel Valle indicted in DUI crash that Killed Melikah Little, www.myfoxchicago.com, March 23, 2011

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

Juvenile detention counselor accused of DUI, punching cop, www.chicagotribune.com, March 19, 2011