The Chicago Sun-Times reported two persons (27-year old Marko Boskovic and 26-year old Laura Uribe) were killed in Clarendon Hills after a head-on collision with another vehicle. Another victim remains in critical condition. The male driver, Juan Rodea-Cruz, 25 years old from Humboldt Park, of the other vehicle was charged with driving under the influence (DUI). What's more, according to NBC Chicago:

Police say that when they arrived on scene they found Rodea-Cruz alone in his car, reeking of alcohol, and with bloodshot eyes. Numerous opened and unopened bottles of beer were found in the vehicle, along with a broken bottle of hard liquor.

The incident occurred at around 3 a.m. on October 20th, when Rodea-Cruz-Cruz was allegedly driving northbound on Route 83. He veered his vehicle into the southbound lane, which is when his vehicle crashed into another vehicle, killing and injuring several persons. 

When Alleged DUIs Turn Deadly, It's Important Not to Jump to Conclusions

Whenever there is a fatal traffic accident, the event is distressing. It's even more so when the alleged cause of the accident is a driver accused of being drunk while driving – there is a strong sentiment that the accident should have never happened and wouldn't have but for the DUI offender. As it is, the assumption is automatic –that the alleged DUI offender caused the accident. Here, the assumption is strengthened by the strong smell of alcohol on Rodea-Cruz's person and the empty beer cans and broken liquor bottles found in Rodea-Cruz's vehicle.

We do, however, have to be careful about making these assumptions. A DUI arrest is bad enough, but facing charges of Aggravated DUI Causing Death and Aggravated DUI Causing Great Bodily Harm are felonies that can upturn your life dramatically with hard time in prison and serious fines and fees. Demonstrating just how significant these charges are, a DuPage County judge has set his bond at $750,000. 

Being cautious about jumping to a conclusion in no way minimizes the loss of life. It is important, however, to make sure in these cases that the accident was indeed caused by the alleged DUI offender and then that the alleged DUI offender was indeed illegally intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle. It's also important to make sure the defendant's constitutional right to a fair trial is upheld. Therein lies the importance of an experienced DUI and criminal defense attorney. 

The Importance of an Experienced DUI & Criminal Defense Attorney in the Greater Chicago Metro Area

An experienced DUI and criminal defense attorney has defended many cases at trial. That experience is paramount to any other experience in terms of defending serious DUI allegations. Oftentimes in these cases, the evidence or lack thereof is just as important as how well an attorney can persuade a jury. DUI cases are notoriously difficult cases because people tend to make judgments pretty quickly about persons accused of driving drunk. These judgmental perceptions are compounded when there's a death.

An experienced DUI attorney can separate the emotions and misperceptions from the actual facts and circumstances. An experienced DUI attorney can challenge the State's evidence believably and with integrity. An experienced attorney can help make jurors see beyond the accusations and pain. These things are important because they contribute to the sum of the whole story. When a DUI attorney is able to do this, he may be able to reveal the truth, and that is: there are two sides to every story, and a defendant should be able to get his side heard in order for justice to be served.