A Zion man was arrested after authorities say he drove drunk and crashed into the rear of a Lake County sheriff’s squad car in Beach Park Sunday evening.
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop around 8:20 p.m. Sunday at Lewis Avenue and Wadsworth Road in Beach Park.
The emergency lights on the deputy’s marked squad car were illuminated and the deputy was pulled to the side of Lewis Avenue, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
The deputy’s squad car was rear-ended by a northbound Chevrolet pickup truck.
The deputy was uninjured and exited his squad car to investigate what caused the driver of the pickup truck to strike his squad.
While speaking with the driver, Jesus O. Garcia, 50, of Zion, the deputy smelled a strong order of alcohol coming from Garcia’s breath, Covelli said.
Additional deputies responded and conducted a driving under the influence investigation.
Following their investigation, Garcia was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Covelli said that Garcia initially refused to comply with instructions of sheriff’s deputies while being taken into custody.
He then complied, was successfully taken into custody and was transported to the Lake County Jail.
Garcia was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, open transportation of alcohol, resisting a peace officer, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, operating an uninsured vehicle and cited for additional traffic violations.
Garcia was released from the jail on a personal recognizance bond.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on February 15.