Urge To Urinate Reason for Tinley Woman's Reckless Driving: Blotter

A strong urge to urinate was the motivation for an accused drunken driver from Tinley Park to run a red light in front of a cop, according to a report.

Karen A. Kozicki, 33, of the 17200 block of Oconto Avenue, was charged with driving under the influence, DUI with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08, disobeying a traffic control device and driving in the wrong lane, according to a Tinley Park police report.

A Tinley Park cop was approaching the intersection of 171st Street and Harlem Avenue at about 12:33 a.m. on Oct. 19 when the officer saw a dark-colored SUV blow through a red light, the report states. The officer followed, turning on the emergency lights. Police said the SUV kept driving and, eventually, turned into a driveway on Oconto Avenue.

The driver, Kozicki, got out of the car and told the officer, who asked why she was driving recklessly, that she had to "pee and was trying to get home," the report states. Police said she slurred her speech and had a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Kozicki drank a few beers than night while dancing at a Tinley Park establishment, she told police.

Police asked Kozicki to take tests for sobriety, during which she had trouble keeping her balance, the report states. She was arrested after police determined she had failed the tests.

While in police custody, Kozicki took a breath test that resulted in a 0.157 BAL, the report states. After being charged, she was later released on bond.

Police report information is provided by the Tinley Park Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.