Two DUI Related Crashes in 24 Hours

Skokie saw two serious DUI related crashes within a 24-hour span on June 9.

Brian Ribert Lewkowsky, 37, of Skokie, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, among other things, on June 10. Officers originally responded to a head on crash in the 3800 block of Oakton Street after Lewkowsky allegedly drove his vehicle through a building. When officers asked for his license, Lewkowsky handed them a credit card, the report said. He allegedly had a blood alcohol content level of .128.

Just one day prior, German C. Dejesus, 45, of Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, among other charges, on June 9. Skokie police found DeJesus in the 8100 block of Crawford Avenue after Lincolnwood police sent out a dispatch on a hit-and-run accident in their village, according to the report.

After making the stop, Dejesus exited his vehicle and began throwing up "for about two minutes," the report said. Officers would also find more than a gram of cocaine in the suspect’s possession, according to the report. He allegedly had a blood alcohol content level of .134. In Illinois, the legal limit is .08.

Dejesus told police he fled the accident because he knew he was too drunk to drive, the report said. Besides the DUI, he was also charged with driving on a suspended license, no proof of insurance, driving without a headlight, improper lane usage and possession of drugs. It is unclear if any injuries resulted from the accident at this time.

July 4 highest DUI to death rate -

The Skokie Police Department made a total of 19,957 traffic enforcement-related contacts during 2011. The contacts fall roughly 15 percent below the average number of contacts made annually over the past decade, according to the police department's annual report.

DUI citations made up about 5 percent - which translates to roughly 998 - of all hazardous traffic violations in Skokie for 2011, the report said. The largest segment of citations was for speeding, claiming 44 percent, or about 8,781, of all hazardous traffic violations.

As with many major holidays, Skokie police will set a number of DUI checkpoints around the village in the days leading to the Fourth of July. According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s website, more people die (11) from DUI related crashes on the Fourth of July than any other holiday. Labor Day comes in at a close second with 10.

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