Palos Man Released With Pretrial Conditions In Fatal Oak Lawn Crash

OAK LAWN, IL — A 19-year-old man who is accused of slamming into another car early Tuesday morning that left the man dead and his 7-year-old daughter critically injured was granted pretrial release following a hearing at the Bridgeview Courthouse.

Peter Swenson appeared Thursday before Cook County Judge Linzie Jones on felony charges of reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence and driving under the influence causing death. The 19-year-old was originally said by Oak Lawn police to reside in Chicago, but his attorney said he is living in Palos Heights.

The assistant state’s attorney told Judge Jones that she would be seeking pretrial detention for Swensen.

Just after 3 a.m. Tuesday, the prosecutor said that Swensen was driving his father’s 2022 Lincoln southwest bound down Southwest Highway. According to analysis of the Lincoln’s black box, the vehicle reached speeds of 93 mph on Southwest Highway. The vehicle braked for four seconds and Swensen’s speed dropped to 87 mph, the prosecutor said. At the time of impact, black box analysis showed the Lincoln throttled back up to 87 mph before impact.

The deceased driver was identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner as Eglin Manuel Castro Alvarez, 27, of Midlothian. His 7-year-old daughter remains hospitalized at Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition.

Castro Alvarez had gotten off work and picked up his daughter from the babysitter. The Midlothian father was heading southbound on Cicero Avenue and had the green light when the prosecutor said Swensen slammed into Castro Alvarez’s Toyota on the driver’s side. The impact pushed the vehicle 100 feet into a vacant oil changing building in the 4800 block of Southwest Highway.

When Oak Lawn police arrived at the scene, the prosecutor said Swensen’s vehicle had come to a rest on top of another vehicle.

A witness told police she had to veer in the oncoming lane of traffic to avoid getting hit by Swensen’s vehicle as zoomed through the intersection, the prosecutor said.

Oak Lawn firefighters had to extricate the Midlothian man from the vehicle. His daughter was found unconscious beneath a blanket in the back seat.

The drivers and their passengers were all transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where Castro Alvarez was pronounced dead at 6:15 a.m. His daughter was air vacced to Comer Children’s Hospital where she is being treated for bruised lungs and seven fractures including spinal injuries.

While conversing with Swensen, Oak Lawn police officers said they could detect the odor of alcohol on his breath. He said he had been “joyriding” and also admitted to drinking “two to three espresso martinis,” and showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests. Swensen is also said to have claimed he was driving “50 mph.” The prosecutor said the conversation was captured on officers' body cams.

Later in the morning, Swensen asked to be taken to the hospital because of a bump on his head, where he was treated and released. A blood draw revealed in the hospital that Swensen had a blood-alcohol content of .153. the prosecutor said. Neither Swenson nor his female passenger suffered life-threatening injuries.

“The defendant admitted to underage drinking,” the prosecutor said. “He admitted to speeding. He had a blood- He can’t be trusted to follow Illinois laws, so he is a danger to the community.”

Swensen’s attorney told the judge that his client was a student at Moraine Valley Community College. He lives in Palos Heights and is the sole caregiver of his father, who is battling cancer.

“He is engaged in the type of activities that unfortunately 19-year-olds participate in,” Judge Jones said.

The judge denied pretrial detention, but released Swensen with a lot of pretrial conditions, including home confinement and a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. Swensen also has seven days to get a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device, or BAIID, installed on his vehicle, that requires drivers to blow into a breathalyzer to start the vehicle.

“Mr. Swensen, this is your wake-up call,” Judge Jones said.

Swensen is due back in court Jan. 16 in Bridgeview.