Aug 20, 2008 10:04 pm US/Central
Video Allegedly Shows Cop Drinking Before Crash
Fatal Accident Killed 2 Last Thanksgiving
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Officer John Ardelean leaves the Criminal Courts Building Feb. 7, 2008.
Courtesy Chicago Sun-Times
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Thanksgiving morning, 22-year-old Miguel Flores and his life-long friend, 21-year-old Erick Lagunas, were once again hanging out, when their lives were cut short by a driver, an off-duty cop, accused of being drunk.
CBS
New video footage appears to show an off-duty cop knocking back drinks before he was involved in a fatal crash last Thanksgiving.
Family members of the victims hope it spurs prosecutors to reopen the case.
Nancy Flores said she felt sad when she saw the video that she said shows off-duty Chicago police officer John Ardelean consuming several drinks at a bar.
"He's not just sipping -- he's taking shots," Nancy Flores said.
She said the video was taken right before Ardelean got behind the wheel and collided with another vehicle, killing her brother, 22-year old Miguel Flores, and 21-year old Erick Lagunas.
Nancy Flores's lawyer, Dan O'Connor, showed CBS 2 the tape Wednesday night. He says it shows the officer doing a shot with the bartender and then, as he's about to leave, he is handed what appears to be a bottle.
The bartender later claimed the shots were just water.
"If these were just water, why was his blood alcohol .04 several hours later?" O'Conner said.
Ardelean was originally charged with drunken driving, but a judge dismissed the charges after hearing testimony from witnesses who said the driver of the other vehicle ran a stop sign and that the officer did not appear drunk before or after the crash.
But to Nancy Flores, this video proves otherwise.
"What more evidence do you need?" she asked.
CBS 2 asked O'Conner how he and his client know it is the Officer Ardelean on tape. Hhe said the officer was seen texting in the video -- and those text messages were later tracked.
Ardelean's attorney did not respond to calls for comment as of 10 p.m.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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