Man Arrested for Aggravated DUI After Crashing into Pontiac Police Officer

 Posted on November 23, 2013 in Chicago News

Earlier this month, a man was placed under arrest for Aggravated Driving Under the Influence (DUI) when the vehicle he was driving left the highway, crossing into the center median, and struck a stationary police car. According to a report by The Chicago-Sun Times, the man was driving a pick-up truck on I-55 North at around 9:30 p.m. when the truck left the road and collided with the officer’s squad car.

Driving Under the Influence in Illinois

Any driver who has a blood alcohol content of .08% or greater is driving in violation of Illinois law (keep in mind that minors and commercial drivers are subject to lower limits).

Remember that, by driving with a valid Illinois license (or using another state’s license while driving on Illinois roads) you are consenting to a blood alcohol test at any time. Failure to submit to a requested test may result in additional charges or a license suspension.

DUI Penalties in Illinois

The State of Illinois doesn’t take DUI charges lightly. Even a first time offender can face up to:

• a fine of $2,500; and
• a term of imprisonment of up to one year.

From there, the penalties get even stiffer. A second time offender faces the same punishment but has a minimum of a 5-day jail sentence or 240 hours of community service.

In addition to the fines and restrictions on a driver’s freedom, a DUI conviction comes with additional collateral consequences, such as the potential restriction of employment opportunities. Employers are permitted to deny a position to anyone convicted of a DUI offense.

Have You Been Charged with a DUI Offense in Illinois?

If you have been charged with a DUI offense in Illinois, make sure that that one mistake does not affect the rest of your life any more than it needs to. With the assistance of an experienced criminal defense attorney, you may be able to come to a favorable result without going to trial. This would spare you the expense, stress and embarrassment of going through the trial process.