Illinois State Police have arrested a woman for DUI after she allegedly drove her SUV onto the highway while traveling the wrong way. The accident happened in Bolingbrook, Illinois, on June 27. According to police, the 24-year-old woman was under the influence when she took her red Ford Explorer onto I-55, just south of Route 53 at around 2:00 a.m. Police say the woman was heading in a southerly direction while in the northbound lane of that highway.
Sometime thereafter, police say the defendant’s Explorer collided with a black Toyota Sienna and a gray Chevrolet Avalanche. The impact caused injuries to a 21-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man. Witnesses to the crash assisted in the rescue of the 60-year-old victim from the overturned Chevy Avalanche. A witness described seeing the defendant alongside the road crying hysterically after the crash.
All three injured parties were taken to hospitals where their conditions were described as non-life threatening. It is unclear why the defendant drove onto the highway in the wrong direction. Authorities say that besides a seat belt infraction, the woman otherwise has a clean driving history.
Victims of preventable car accidents often face an uphill road towards their physical and emotional recovery. Much is often said about expenses related to healing broken bones or lacerations. Sometimes overlooked is the deep emotional trauma experienced by victims of car accidents with catastrophic injuries. Imagine not ever being able to walk again or play in the yard with your loved ones. Victims going through that anguish should know that in addition to lost wages and medical costs, the legal system allows a plaintiff to seek compensation for their pain and suffering.
Source: ABC 7 Eyewitness News, “Wrong-Way Driver Yarelie Melgarejo charged with DUI in 3-Vehicle Crash on I-55“, June 27, 2014