Drunk Driver Goes 11 Miles In Wrong Direction On Edens
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 24-year-old man was arrested for drunk driving early Thursday morning after driving 11 miles in the wrong direction on the Edens Expressway through Chicago and the northern suburbs.
Illinois State Police said they received several calls about a wrong way driver on the Edens Expressway near Elston Avenue in Chicago around 2:30 a.m. Thursday.
Several state police cars were dispatched to pull the SUV over. Glencoe police eventually stopped the SUV about 10 minutes later on the Edens at Tower Road, police said.
The driver, Sergio Galez-Delira, of Glenview, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving, having an open alcohol container in the vehicle, improper lane usage an driving without insurance, police said.
State Police Master Sergeant Joseph Stangl said he could not recall any drunk driver ever traveling that far and for that long of a time. He credited the timing of the incident and the light traffic on the Edens for avoiding a major crash.
"The driver managed to avoid striking any other vehicles, but this could have turned into a horrific tragedy based on one driver's decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated," Stangl said. "Several callers reported they were nearly sideswiped by other drivers, and they were fearful of how to gain control of their vehicles."
