Prosecutors: Man Charged In Fatal Crash Was Drag Racing With Friend
UPDATE: 3:42 p.m.
CHICAGO (STMW) --An 18-year-old man had spent the night drinking and hanging out with a 20-year-old friend before it all ended in a fatal drag racing incident, prosecutors claimed on Monday.
Ivan Sanchez, 18, of the 1500 block of West Bryn Mawr Avenue, was charged with reckless homicide for the early Saturday crash that killed Jose Luzianos Jr., authorities said. Sanchez also faces one count of aggravated DUI, four misdemeanor counts of DUI, and several traffic citations.
It started Friday night when Sanchez, Luzianos and three others spent time hanging out at different parking lots, prosecutors said. At some point the group went to a spot on Lower Wacker Drive to "check out each others' cars, do doughnuts and burnouts."
That hangout led into early Saturday after Sanchez and Luziano drank Modelo beers, prosecutors said.
After visiting Lower Wacker Drive one more time about 3 a.m., witnesses told police the group decided to drive away: Sanchez in his 2005 Jeep Laredo in front, Luziano second in line in a 1999 BMW, and the two witnesses behind them in a Range Rover.
Sanchez and Luziano started drag racing down Lower Wacker. Sanchez sped past Luziano, who tried to drive his BMW between Sanchez's Jeep and a third vehicle not involved the race in attempt to get ahead, prosecutors said.
But his BMW fishtailed, clipped the Jeep, spun out and struck two support beams.
The Jeep also crashed into a support beam, prosecutors said. The vehicles came to a rest in the westbound lanes of Lower Wacker near Garvey Court, prosecutors said.
Witnesses and an unknown bystander called for help. Emergency responders smelled alcohol on Sanchez, who later admitted drinking. His blood alcohol concentration was measured at .148, prosecutors said, which is 1.85 times the legal limit.
Both men were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Luzianos died there, while Sanchez was treated and released, authorities said.
Luziano, of the 1500 block of West Hollywood, died of multiple blunt-force injuries, and an autopsy ruled his death an accident, according to the medical examiner's office.
On Monday, Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas ordered Sanchez held on a $150,000 bond, with home confinement if he bails out, officials said. He's next scheduled to appear in court Aug. 7.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
