Fatal Rollover Crash Case finally solved from 2011

 Posted on July 21, 2012 in DUI/DWI

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, the Riverside police have cracked the case about a car crash that left one man from Woodbridge dead and one woman from Cicero slightly injured. Back on December 7^th of 2011, Magali Padilla, 24, and Cesar Ramirez, 26, were on their way home from dinner. Police supposed that from the scene of the crash, the 2003 Mercury Mountaineer was moving at a high rate of speed when it hit a curb and proceeded to roll over multiple times. The force of the crash ended up ejecting Ramirez from the vehicle as the SUV came to a halt on someone’s front lawn.

When police arrived at the scene they noticed a strong smell of alcohol from both Padilla and Ramirez. Padilla was given a breathalyzer test and registered a .017, which is two times the legal limit in Illinois. Both Padilla and Ramirez were transported to Loyola University Medical Center where Ramirez was pronounced deceased shortly after arrival. Yet from the date of the crash up to July 7^th of this year the authorities in Riverside were not sure if they could charge anyone.

Police Chief Thomas Weitzel assured the public that his department was working non-stop since the alcohol-fueled car accident. The officers were responsible for reviewing scene evidence, hospital records, witness testimony, and hours of video surveillance. It was by reviewing the video camera tape that the Riverside police finally solved the case. Padilla and Ramirez were driving from a restaurant as caught on tape at 11:40 pm on December 7^th, 2011. The video revealed that Padilla was driving the vehicle and not Ramirez.

This revelation resulted in Magali Padilla being charged with reckless homicide and aggravated drunken driving. On July 8^th, 2012 Cook County Criminal Court Judge Adam Bourgeois Jr. ordered Padilla to be held on $35,000 bail. DWI defense is complicated and often requires the finesse of a skilled DWI defense attorney in Cook County, IL. If you have been affected by a DWI charge do not wait another day.