A man who was on pre-trial release for intentionally crashing his truck into a Gurnee store during a suicide attempt has been arrested for driving under the influence for the eighth time and causing a crash.
Curt D. Matowitz, 50, of Gurnee, was charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, a Class X felony.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said the Gurnee Police Department was called on July 24 to a single-vehicle crash.
The car, driven by Matowitz, had crashed into a light pole and gone into a ditch.
Matowitz told police that he was driving to Jewel-Osco and then blacked out before the crash, McConnell said.
Matowitz showed clues of impairment, including slurred speech, a thick tongue and red bloodshot eyes, McConnell said. A cleaning duster can was inside the vehicle.
Officers asked Matowitz if he had been huffing and the man said along the lines of “that sh-t was for kids.”
Matowitz was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and blood and urine were obtained. A search warrant was obtained and the collection was sent to the crime lab.
The crime lab reported Matowitz was under the influence of difluoroethane, McConnell said. He also had clonazepam in his system.
McConnell said this was not the first time that Matowitz had “blacked out” and crashed into something.
The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 8:35 p.m. on April 7 to Panera Bread and Xfinity, 6440 Grand Avenue, for a vehicle that struck the strip mall.
Officers and firefighters arrived to find a Chevrolet Silverado that crashed into the rear of the Xfinity store near the Panera Bread drive-thru.
A natural gas line was also struck, causing a leak, according to Gurnee Fire Department acting shift commander Lt. Joe Olsen.
Paramedics transported Matowitz, the driver of the truck, to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said at the time that Matowitz suffered multiple injuries.
He received immediate medical attention before being transported to the hospital.
Olsen said there were occupants inside the strip mall units when the crash occurred.
“We evacuated them immediately upon arrival,” Olsen said. No one else was injured.
Gaylor said the crash resulted in significant damage to the vehicle and a large hole in the building.
A surveillance video shared with Lake and McHenry County Scanner showed the Chevrolet traveling west from Prairie Creek Drive and Gurnee Mills Circle West into the rear parking lot of Xfinity when it suddenly veered and slammed into the building.
The truck did not appear to slow down prior to the impact.
Police initially said they believed Matowitz may have been experiencing a medical issue at the time of the crash.
McConnell said Matowitz later made statements that he intentionally crashed into the building as part of a suicide attempt.
He was charged in that case with reckless driving and criminal damage to property. The case remains active.
Matowitz’s second crash which occurred on July 24 was at least his eighth driving under the influence violation.
He has seven prior convictions in Wisconsin from August 1995, September 1995, December 1995, March 1996, June 1998, May 2011 and July 2011, according to McConnell.
McConnell argued that Matowitz’s actions during his most recent DUI and crash presented a risk to anyone walking or driving down the street.
Lake County Judge Theodore Potkonjak granted a petition to detain Matowitz pending trial, calling him a “reckless homicide waiting to happen,” during a detention hearing.
“If he’s got a death wish… do it in a different form. Not where he’s putting people in danger,” Potkonjak said, adding that Matowitz endangered others when he crashed into the Xfinity store.
Matowitz is scheduled to appear in court again on October 10.