Man Charged With Drunk Driving After Crash That Killed Pedestrian
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A man is facing multiple DUI charges in connection with a Northwest Side crash that left a pedestrian dead Tuesday evening.
Maciej Machniewicz, 45, was driving south on Austin Avenue about 6:40 p.m. before "abruptly" turning east onto Belmont Avenue, according to a statement from Chicago Police.
In the process, the vehicle he was driving hit another southbound vehicle and forced it to crash into a third vehicle, police said.
The vehicle Machniewicz was driving then hit a traffic box, a light pole, a fence and a pedestrian before coming to a rest, police said.
The pedestrian, 62-year-old Lida Xhelo, of the 6000 lock of West Eddy, was taken to Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 7:03 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
An autopsy Wednesday found she died of multiple injuries from an automobile striking a pedestrian and ruled her death an accident, the medical examiner's office said.
Machniewicz, of the 4400 block of West Barry, is charged with a felony count of aggravated DUI causing a fatal accident, two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and a misdemeanor count of driving when he had never been issued a driver's license, police said. He was also issued multiple traffic citations.
Machniewicz is expected to appear in bond court Thursday, according to police.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
