No headlights leads to drunk driving charges for man in Illinois

When an Illinois driver gets behind the wheel, he or she is obligated to adhere to all traffic and safety regulations for motor vehicle operations. If a driver fails to do so, it can lead to serious legal problems. An operator error, such as forgetting to turn on headlights when driving at night, might alert a police officer in the area, and result in a traffic stop that could possibly lead to drunk driving charges.

In fact, that is basically what happened to a man who was driving on South LaGrange Road about 10 minutes before midnight on a recent Sunday. An off-duty police officer claims to have witnessed the driver traveling without headlights on. The officer also stated that the vehicle in question was swerving.  

A call to 911 dispatched on-duty officers to the scene, who later said that just as they arrived, they saw the man’s car hit a curb and blow a tire. When a car blows a tire, it does not necessarily come to an immediate halt. Officials say the car in this situation hit the first curb, careened across three lanes of traffic with a blown tire, then hit another curb and wound up in the grass in front of a local business. 

Police ultimately took the driver into custody, where he remained in jail on drunk driving charges and a $250,000 bond. Illinois officers claim the man admitted that he should not have been driving because he had consumed too much alcohol. Most experienced criminal lawyers would likely advise motorists against making such comments to police officers. It is always best to seek legal representation before making any statements in these types of circumstances.