A double-fatal Waukegan car crash happened on Sunday (August 26, 2018) night, in which a married couple died.  A driver has been charged with DUI in relation to this crash.

This double-fatal Waukegan car crash involved 4 cars and happened near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Baldwin Avenue at approximately 8:30 p.m.  At that time, a driver who has been charged with drunk driving is accused of running a red light and colliding with a 2000 Honda Accord.  Subsequent to this primary collision, two other vehicles (a Ford Explorer and Chevy Tahoe) were also involved in the accident.

The driver who allegedly ran the red light has been identified as Letisia C. Delgadillo, 39.

An excerpt regarding the crash, from the August 28, 2018 Lake County News-Sun article titled “Woman charged in alleged DUI crash that killed two in Waukegan,” quoting Waukegan Police Commander Joe Florip:

The investigation “points towards” Delgadillo “running the red light for westbound Grand Avenue and striking the second vehicle, Florip said, and that speed and alcohol “appear to be crucial factors in the incident.”

Delgadillo has been charged with the following, according to the article:

Delgadillo is charged with one count of aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death, a Class 2 felony carrying a possible three to seven years in prison upon conviction; driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor carrying a possible sentence of up to a year in jail; and failure to yield to a traffic signal, a traffic citation, according to Waukegan Police and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Two people, a 42-year-old man from Waukegan and a 41-year-old woman from Mexico, were in the Honda Accord.  They were pronounced dead after being taken to  Vista Medical Center in Waukegan.  They were married.  At the time of the crash both were wearing their seat belts.

Neither Delgadillo nor the occupants in the Ford Explorer and Chevy Tahoe were injured during the crash.  All vehicle occupants were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this double-fatal Waukegan car crash can be seen in the article mentioned above, as well as the August 28 Grayslake Patch article titled “Woman Charged In DUI Crash That Killed Two.”

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There was a two-vehicle Mundelein collision Friday (August 10, 2018) morning.  The collision involved a Riverwoods police vehicle as well as another vehicle whose driver was subsequently charged with driving under the influence (DUI.)

According to Mundelein Police, this Mundelein collision happened on Route 83 at Route 60 before 7:00 a.m.

An excerpt regarding the crash, from the August 10, 2018 Daily Herald article titled “Authorities:  Drunk driver crashed into police officer’s vehicle“:

The police officer was driving a Chevy Tahoe patrol vehicle with a female occupant north on Route 83 shortly before 7 a.m. when another car struck the vehicle, Mundelein police Sgt. Jason Seeley said.

The motorist had driven through a yellow traffic light while attempting to turn east on Route 60 from southbound Route 83, Seeley said.

The police officer from Riverwoods, the passenger in the police car, and the driver of the other vehicle were all injured during the collision and were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment of their accident injuries.  All of the injuries were considered to be non-life-threatening in nature.

Another excerpt from the article:

Derek J. Schwanebeck, 24, of the 2100 block of Hazelwood Drive in McHenry, was charged with driving under the influence and failure to yield turning left, police said.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Mundelein collision can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the August 10 Deerfield Patch article titled “Police Officer, 2 Others Injured In Mundelein Crash.”

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A March 25, 2018 fatal Round Lake Park crash was discussed in the “Round Lake Park Fatal Vehicle Crash On Hainesville Road” post.  As seen in that post, this fatal Round Lake Park crash resulted in the death of Walter Bajorek, 65, of Round Lake Beach.

Recently, additional information regarding this three-vehicle accident has become publicly available.

As seen in the July 18, 2018 Lake County News-Sun article titled “Grayslake man arrested, charged with DUI in fatal crash in Round Lake Park,” regarding the driver of one of the vehicles:

Steven A. Rosellini, 27, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after being indicted by a Lake County grand jury earlier in the day, according to Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko.

Filenko said Rosellini is charged with several felonies, including two counts of aggravated DUI involving death, two counts of aggravated DUI causing bodily harm, and reckless homicide. He was also charged with failure to report an accident involving a death.

also:

Rosellini was released without charges that night, but following an investigation by the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, which included a review of toxicology tests, Rosellini was indicted on the charges Wednesday morning.

As seen in article, this fatal Round Lake Park crash happened as Bajorek and his wife were driving southbound on Hainesville Road when the vehicle driven by Rosellini hit Bajorek’s vehicle from behind.  Both vehicles then left the roadway.  An autopsy revealed that Bajorek died from accident injuries resulting from the crash.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Round Lake Park crash in which a driver has been charged with DUI can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

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Driving while impaired by drugs is becoming increasingly common, and, in addition to drunk driving, continues to be a significant traffic safety issue both nationally as well as locally, such as in Lake County as well as throughout the Chicago area.   This “drugged driving” can include many drugs, with commonly-involved drugs including marijuana, heroin, meth, and cocaine.  If “mixed drug use” occurs, the level of impairment can increase.  As well, if alcohol is used with the drugs, an increased level of impairment can occur.  The subject of drug-impaired driving is further discussed on the “Car Accidents Involving Drivers Under The Influence Of Drugs” page.   Various Lake County accidents in which the driver was impaired by drugs are mentioned.  As seen in these accidents, many result in serious injuries, and some of these injuries resulted in fatalities.

Driving while impaired by drugs is the subject of the May 31, 2018 Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) press release (with full report) titled “Marijuana, Opioids Most Common Drugs Found in Fatally Injured Drivers.”

Two excerpts from the press release:

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) finds that in 2016, 44% of fatally-injured drivers with known results tested positive for drugs, up from 28% just 10 years prior. More than half of these drivers had marijuana, opioids, or a combination of the two in their system.

also:

“Too many people operate under the false belief that marijuana or opioids don’t impair their ability to drive, or even that these drugs make them safer drivers,” noted GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins. “Busting this myth requires states to expand their impaired driving campaigns to include marijuana and opioids along with alcohol to show drivers that impairment is impairment, regardless of substance.”

Additional details concerning this driving while impaired by drugs issue can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

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“Drunk driving” (DUI) continues to be a major traffic safety issue, as seen in statistics both nationally and locally.  In addition to the safety threat posed by drivers impaired by alcohol usage, there has been a significant increase in drivers who are drug-impaired.  The issue of “drugged drivers” is further discussed on the “Car Accidents Involving Drivers Under The Influence Of Drugs.”

On this site Lake County vehicle accidents with injuries involving drunk drivers and drug-impaired drivers are summarized in posts under the “DUI” category.

In a previous post (“How To Spot Drunk Drivers“) potential signs of a drunk driver, and what to do if you see a drunk driver, is discussed.  Two of these potential signs is “Driving slower than 10 mph below the speed limit” as well as “Weaving or zig-zagging across the road.”

A driver was pulled over by police in Lake Forest in the early morning of April 8, 2018 as he was driving on Route 41 near Westleigh Road.  The incident, after which the man was charged with DUI, is described in the April 15, 2018 Lake Forest Patch article titled “DUI Driver Was Going 10 MPH Below Limit…”

An excerpt with regard to the driver’s actions:

Police noticed him driving an SUV 10 mph below the speed limit and swerving around the road and pulled him over. While speaking with him, officers smelled alcohol and noticed he was showing “obvious signs” of being drunk, as well as an open case of beer and several empty beer cans in the car.

Additional details regarding these DUI and drug-impaired driving issues can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

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