Attorney for Drunk Driver Places Blame on Chicago Heights Police

January 27, 2011 - An accused drunk driver who caused a fatal crash is placing the blame on the Chicago Heights Police Department. According to a report at My Fox Chicago, the driver's attorney is alleging that police officers at the scene knew the man was drunk and let him drive anyway.

The driver is facing a variety of charges, including reckless homicide, in the death of a 5-year-old boy. The charges stem from a May car accident in Steger. The accused was a passenger in a car when it was pulled over by Chicago Heights police officers. The man's girlfriend, who was driving at the time, was arrested for driving with a suspended license, and the officers told the man to take the woman's child home.

Less than an hour later, the man crashed the car into a tree in Steger, killing the 5-year-old boy. After the fatal car accident, the man's blood-alcohol content was measured at .208, and officers who arrived at the crash said he was visibly intoxicated.

The man's attorney says the driver told police he was intoxicated and they ignored him. For their part, the officers involved say that the driver showed no outward signs that he was under the influence.