Two people have been killed in a wrong-way crash with a drunk driver in southwest suburban Clarendon Hills, IL.
Drunk Driver Kills Two, Injures Two Others
On the early morning of October 20, 2019, at approximately 2:47 a.m., 25-year-old Juan Rodea-Cruz was driving northbound on Route 83, just north of 55th Street, when he veered into the southbound lane of traffic. He then hit a southbound vehicle carrying four people.
Two people – Marko Boskovic, 27, of Revere, MA and Laura Uribe, 26, of La Grange, IL – were killed in the wrong-way crash. A 27-year-old man in their vehicle remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition while another 27-year-old male passenger has been treated and released for injuries.
Police say that when they arrived on the scene they found Juan Rodea-Cruz alone in his car, with bloodshot eyes and smelling of alcohol. They reportedly found “numerous” open and unopened bottles of beer in his vehicle and a broken 750-ml bottle of hard liquor.
Rodea-Cruz was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol causing death, a Class 2 felony, and one count of aggravated driving under the influence causing great bodily harm, a Class 4 felony. If convicted of the charges, Rodea-Cruz faces a maximum of 28 years in prison.
Wrong-Way Crash Fatalities Higher Than Average
Wrong-way crashes, in which one motor vehicle collides with another while traveling against the direction of traffic, are relatively rare, accounting only for approximately three percent of collisions, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. But while a wrong-way crash is not that common, it can be deadlier than other types of car accidents.
An estimated 355 people are killed each year in accidents caused by vehicles moving in the wrong direction on the highway. There are an average of 1.34 fatalities for each deadly wrong-way car accident, compared to 1.10 deaths for all other types of fatal crashes. This represents an increase of nearly 22 percent in the rate of fatality.
Let Our Car Accident Lawyers Get You Fair Compensation
Even in cases that do not result in death, a driver or a passenger in a wrong-way crash can still suffer devastating injuries. If this has happened to you as a result of another driver’s negligence, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation. To maximize that compensation, it can be beneficial to retain knowledgeable legal representation, like the Burr Ridge car accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers.
With more than $2 billion recovered for our clients over more than four decades in practice, GWC has the experience, the determination, the resources, and the reputation of success you need to help get you and your family the justice you deserve.
If you have been injured in a wrong-way crash, contact GWC today for a no-cost, no-obligation case evaluation with one of our attorneys. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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