Alcohol may have been a factor in a crash that occurred in Lake County, Indiana that killed a woman from Crete, Illinois and injured a man from Indiana. Neither car held any passengers.

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, Annette Orellana was driving westbound in the vicinity of 98^th and Sheffield avenues outside of St.

John, Indiana about 2:42 a.m. when she was rear-ended by another vehicle. The 43-year-old Crete resident was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center and passed away on Sunday at approximately 12:41 a.m.

Anthony Vanderheyden, the driver of the other vehicle was airlifted to Loyola University Hospital with serious internal injuries. The 35-year-old Dyer, Indiana man was still there as of Monday morning. Lake County Sheriff’s department is investigating the accident and believes alcohol played a part in the crash. No charges have been filed at this time.

An automobile accident can change lives in an instant. If you or a loved one has lost someone due to a car accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for experienced representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A Frankfort man was arrested in Peotone on Saturday, October 8, 2011 after driving into the entrance of a bowling alley.
 
Jessie Brower, 30, was driving north on Second Street in Peotone around 2a.m. Saturday morning when he allegedly ran into a parked car. Brower then apparently swerved to his left, crossed the street and plowed into the entrance of Peotone Bowling Center. He left the scene before

the police arrived and was found driving on the wrong side of the road on Illinois Route 50.
 
Brower was apprehended as he was driving on Illinois Route 50. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.
 
Drunk drivers don’t always cause damage to only property. Driving intoxicated can lead to physical injury and loss of life. If you or a loved one has had their life changed by a drunk driver, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A St. Anne man was killed on the evening of September 15th after being hit by a pickup truck  while on his lawn mower in rural Papineau.

Martinton resident Daniel J. Mitchell was going south on Iroquois County Road 2000E Road when he hit Dennis W. Busse, 60, as Busse was riding his lawn mower. Mitchell collided with the lawn mower in his 1996 GMC pickup truck less than one mile north of Iroquois County Road 3100N Road. Busse was pronounced dead at the scene. Mitchell was arrested by Iroquois County Police.

Mitchell was charged with aggravated DUI and driving on a revoked license. He was being held at the Iroquois County Jail in lieu of bond. 

When a loved one dies in an accident involving intoxication, it seems as if there are no right answers. If you or a loved one has lost a family member in an accident involving a driver charged with a DUI, call Spiros Law  at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The intersection of Sunnyside and Austin Avenues in the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Chicago was the scene of a two-car accident on August 9, 2011 that left a mother and her 16-year-old son dead as well as three other children injured.
 
Claudia Delia was headed west on Sunnyside Ave to meet with another family before going up to the Wisconsin Dells. The Honda Civic contained Delia and her son, Bryan; 3-year-old son Hauk Marvin; 15-year-old step-son, Zack Marvin; and Chris Diaz, a friend of the teenage boys. Chicago resident Richard Strum was headed south on Austin Avenue in his mustang and hit the Honda. The force of impact was so strong that the Honda was pushed against a nearby light pole.
 
Strum, 35, was charged with three counts of felony aggravated DUI for causing bodily harm in an accident and two counts of felony aggravated DUI in an accident causing death according to a statement released by the police. Strum had earlier been ticketed for driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without insurance.
 
Neighbors rushed to help the victims in the Honda. They stated that they have complained many times to the alderman and police in regards to the intersection as Sunnyside is not a straight cut across Austin. Instead, cars must make a jog to the left across Austin in order to continue on Sunnyside.
 
Some accidents take the lives of people because of drivers on the road under the influence of substances that impair their driving ability.  If you or a loved one has lost a family member in an auto accident cause by a driver charged with a DUI, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to find out your legal rights.

Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

The Gold Coast neighborhood in Chicago was the scene of an accident involving a city truck and several pedestrians. The accident occurred Saturday, May 21, 2011 as people were walking and a photographer was conducting a photo shoot of a “bride and groom.”
 
The accident took place at the intersection of State, Rush and Cedar streets when the driver of the Streets and Sanitation pick-up truck lost control of the vehicle while going north on State Street. Before finally coming to a stop the truck sideswiped a parked vehicle and hit seven people including a photographer and two models as well as a nanny and the toddler she cares for.
 
Several ambulances came to the scene, taking eight people to local hospitals. The toddler was taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital while others were taken to Northwestern Hospital.

The driver, who was found to have a liquor bottle in the vehicle, was also taken to the hospital.  The Major Accident Investigation Unit is looking into the accident.
 
Injuries from an accident can happen on a bright sunny day in the middle of your own neighborhood. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal options. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A boat crash on the Kankakee River over the weekend injured six people in a drunk driving accident, according to authorities.

One woman remained hospitalized, but is listed in stable condition after suffering a broken back and head injuries in the crash. The 34-year-old female bartender was the passenger a boat that struck another boat, according to authorities.

The 23-year-old driver of the boat was arrested for reckless operation of a watercraft and operating under

the influence. Their boat drove on top of another boat that was driving in the same direction in the No Wake Zone.

This accident occurred the day after National Safe Boating Week, which was May 22 through 28. Five others were injured, but they have been treated and released.

Driving any vehicle drunk can cause serious injury to everyone involved, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims.