A driver has been charged with DUI after he crashed his car into the back of a semi-truck, causing it to be lodged underneath the truck and his girlfriend to be severely injured and trapped, on Interstate 94 in Wadsworth.
The Newport Fire Protection District and Illinois State Police responded around 5:02 p.m. Saturday to Interstate 94 south of Russell Road in Wadsworth for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Fire crews arrived first and found a car that had driven underneath the rear of a semi-tractor-trailer truck.
The crash occurred in the eastbound, also known as southbound, lanes of Interstate 94 at the 1.25 mile post near the Route 41 split.
Illinois State Police said the crash involved three vehicles, including a gray Dodge Challenger, a Chevrolet Equinox and a blue Kenworth semi-truck that was hauling a semi-trailer.
The Dodge went partially underneath the rear of the semi-trailer and left a woman trapped inside the car, according to fire department radio traffic.
Firefighters had to extricate the woman, who was a passenger in the Dodge. Troopers reported she was unconscious at the scene.
Paramedics transported her to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious, life-threatening injuries, ISP said.
The driver of the Dodge, later identified as 23-year-old Cody A. Carey, was also transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center. He suffered minor injuries.
The Bristol and Pleasant Prairie fire departments also assisted the Newport Fire Protection District at the scene.
Troopers shut down multiple lanes of traffic and diverted motorists to Route 41. Heavy traffic backups were reported into Wisconsin due to the incident, bystanders said.
Carey was later charged with aggravated driving under the influence resulting in a crash involving bodily harm and improper passing on the shoulder.
Prosecutors said troopers found Carey out of the car and leaning against the side barrier while his girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat, was trapped inside the car.
The victim’s injuries were severe and she was unconscious at the scene, prosecutors said. She suffered a severe laceration to the back of her skull, which required staples to close.
Carey told troopers his tire blew out, causing him to suddenly turn right and sideswipe one vehicle and slide underneath the semi-trailer.
Troopers observed an open bottle of alcohol on the driver’s side floorboard and Carey had an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from him, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said a blood draw was conducted and showed Carey had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.139, which is over the legal limit of 0.08.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Carey pending trial, arguing he poses a danger to the community.
An attorney for Carey questioned prosecutors’ account of the facts in the case and argued his client has a lack of criminal history and conditions could mitigate any threat he poses.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim denied the petition during a detention hearing and Carey was released from the Lake County Jail on pre-trial conditions.
Carey is scheduled to appear in court again on November 13 for a status of preliminary hearing.