A guy has been placed under arrest on felony charges after allegedly killing his backseat companion by crashing a Chevy Equinox into a five-star hotel in Mag Mile at around 85 mph.
Chicago police this week arrested 40-year-old John Walker after they found that he drove recklessly through stop signs and red lights in Streeterville early on April 19, causing a collision that killed 40-year-old Emmanuel Carter.
Around 2:36 a.m., Walker was seen climbing behind the wheel of the SUV in the 300 block of West Chicago Avenue on surveillance footage, according to a CPD report.
He allegedly broke stop signs and traffic signals between the 200 and 100 blocks of West Superior Street, as well as in the first and 100 blocks of East Superior and West Superior, according to other cameras.
According to the investigation, Walker’s SUV failed to make that last stop and slid sideways past the intersection of Rush and Superior before colliding into the Peninsula Hotel, located at 108 East Superior Street, after exploding onto the north sidewalk.
Investigators reported that the impact was so severe that the car went from vertical to horizontal before hitting its roof. Walker was thrown through the front windshield to some extent. At the scene, Carter, who was seated in the back seat, was declared dead.
Walker’s SUV was speeding at 85 mph just five seconds prior to impact, and investigators found that his blood alcohol content was.07, according to the CPD report.
Although the legal blood alcohol content limit in Illinois is.08, prosecutors have the authority to charge adult drivers with DUI at.05 or higher if there is proof of impairment. This can involve swerving, running lights, speeding too much, or getting into an accident.
Walker was placed under arrest pending trial by Judge James Costello. He faces charges of aggravated DUI causing death and reckless homicide.
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