Driver Goes Airborne in DUI Crash

Christopher O. Rivera, 21, of the 9200 block of Morgan Avenue, was arrested on a variety of charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol, after his vehicle went airborne in a crash around 3:30 a.m. June 11.

According to the report, police were dispatched to Golf Road and Skokie Boulevard about a vehicle crash. Upon arrival, they saw a blue SUV in the middle of the boulevard, several vehicle parts on the ground and a tree lying on the grass. Officers also found Rivera sitting outside his vehicle near the curb.

Rivera said he was traveling westbound when the SUV's front left-side tire struck the concrete median along Golf Road as he approached Skokie Boulevard. It resulted in him losing control of the vehicle, according to the report.

After it hit the median, the vehicle traveled across all three westbound lanes. It then struck the north side curb near the Panera Bread shop and a concrete retaining wall. A tree was the next object hit, uprooting it from the ground.

The impact caused the SUV to go airborne and it ultimately ended up on Skokie Boulevard, police reported

Rivera appeared to be OK, but told officers that he had drank at least three shots of vodka earlier, according to the police report. He was later transported to the hospital, according to the report.

Police records did not immediately provide his blood alcohol level, but authorities did charge Rivera with drunken driving, speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, having no valid insurance, improper lane usage and having unsafe tires--no tread on the outside part.

His court date is July 19.