Drunken Driver Strikes Squad Car In Beach Park: Sheriff's Office

BEACH PARK, IL — A drunken driver crashed into the back of a sheriff's deputy's squad car over the weekend, authorities said.

Jesus Garcia, 50, of the 2700 block of 31st Street, Zion, has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and resisting police around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the Lake County Sherriff's Office.

At the time of the crash, the deputy had just pulled over a motorist in the northbound lanes of Lewis Avenue, near Wadsworth Road in Beach Park.

A sheriff's office spokesperson said the emergency lights on the deputy's marked squad car were lit up at the time.

The driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck drove it into the back of the deputy's squad car while the deputy was sitting inside, according to the sheriff's office, but neither was injured in the crash.

The deputy got out of the car to talk with the motorist, identified as Garcia, and reported he found Garcia's breath smelled strongly of alcohol.

More deputies showed up for an investigation into whether Garcia was driving under the influence, which led to his eventual arrest. Garcia declined to provide a breath sample, the spokesperson said.

According to the sheriff's office, Garcia initially refused to comply with sheriff's deputies as they tried to arrest him, but he was eventually taken into custody and transported to Lake County Jail to be brought before a judge.

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The sheriff's office also issued Garcia citations for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, also known as Scott's Law, operating an uninsured vehicle, expired registration, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and transportation of an open container of alcohol by a driver.

Garcia previously pleaded guilty to driving under the influence following a 2005 arrest in Lindenhurst, which resulted in a sentence of supervision and DUI school.

At Garcia's bond hearing, Lake County judge ordered him released on his own recognizance ahead of his next court appearance on Feb. 15.