Woman charged with felony DUI in crash that killed 2 on Chicago's Eisenhower Expressway
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman has been charged with driving drunk and causing a crash that left two people dead on the Eisenhower Expressway this past weekend.
Ashanti Gates, 21, of Chicago, stood charged Tuesday with two counts each of felony aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless homicide, as well as child endangerment.
Illinois State Police were called at 3 a.m. Sunday for the crash on the westbound Eisenhower west of Paulina Street.
Due to a flat tire, a white Toyota sedan had pulled onto the right shoulder with its hazard lights on. The three people in the Toyota had gotten out to change the tire.
Gates was driving a black Hyundai, which slammed right into the parked Toyota and two people outside changing the tire. Those two people – Erik Cox, 18, of Rolling Meadows, and Shaelyn Sherwood, also 18, of Hoffman Estates, died at the scene.
The state police said that the third person in the Toyota was not struck.
There were five people in the Hyundai with Gates, including a 4-year-old boy, Illinois State Police said. Gates, the child, and one other person from the Hyundai were taken to the hospital with injuries.
Charges against Gates were approved on Monday. She was being held at the Harrison (11th) District Chicago Police station as of Tuesday night, state police said.
