An alleged drunk driver was arrested after a truck slammed into a traffic light and control box, resulting in a busy intersection in Lake Forest being left without working traffic lights.
The Lake Forest Police Department and Lake Forest Fire Department responded around 2:23 a.m. Sunday to Route 41 and Route 60 for a single-vehicle crash.
First responders arrived and found a black 2021 Ford Ranger pickup truck off the roadway with heavy front-end damage, according to Lake Forest Deputy Police Chief Kevin Zelk.
Both occupants were assessed by the Lake Forest Fire Department but they refused treatment.
An investigation showed the Ford, driven by Analisa Sada, 21, of Hammond Indiana, was traveling southbound on Route 41 approaching Route 60, Zelk said.
The Ford left the roadway and then struck a traffic light pole and an IDOT traffic signal control box.
The Ford came to a stop in the wooded area between Route 41 and Ridge Road.
Zelk said officers identified signs of impairment from Sada and arrested her.
She was charged with two counts of driving under the influence, unlawful possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle, attempt possession of a controlled substance and additional traffic offenses.
The IDOT control box was destroyed due to the crash, rendering the intersection without any working traffic signals, Zelk said.
The Lake Forest Police Department requested assistance from multiple surrounding police agencies to assist with traffic control.
Route 41, a major thoroughfare in the county, will be monitored by police officers directing traffic until service is restored by IDOT and Meade Electric.
Maintenance crews were on the scene Sunday morning and the traffic signal control box is expected to be replaced.
“Weโre hopeful the signals will be fully operational before Mondayโs morning rush hour,” Zelk said.
Motorists are asked to avoid the area and use an alternative route.
Sada was processed and released from custody with a notice to appear. She is scheduled to appear in court on December 15.