Joliet police officer acquitted of DUI in crash that killed Berwyn officer

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Joliet police officer has been acquitted of DUI charges in a 2020 crash that killed a Berwyn police officer.

Erin Zilka was off duty as she was driving a Dodge Durango, with off-duty Berwyn officer Charles Schauer in the passenger seat, when she crashed into a box truck that was blocking traffic on Interstate 55 near Plainfield, following an earlier crash involving a pickup truck.

Schauer was pronounced dead at the scene.

A distraught Zilka was seen shortly after the crash walking along the expressway.

She was charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed. At the time, her attorney said her blood alcohol level was under the legal limit, though experts have said there are other factors that can go into a DUI charge.

Following a bench trial in Will County, a judge found her not guilty of both charges on Friday, according to court records.