Feb 8, 2008 10:13 pm US/Central
Case Dismissed Against Cop In Fatal DUI Crash
2 Friends Killed In Thanksgiving Morning Car Crash
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
-
-
Officer John Ardelean leaves the Criminal Courts Building Feb. 7, 2008.
Courtesy Chicago Sun-Times
A Chicago police officer who was allegedly drunk when he was involved in a fatal car crash had his DUI case dismissed Friday. Now, the families of the two victims are questioning whether Officer John Ardelean received preferential treatment in the case.
As CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports, Nancy Flores says she's still utterly stunned that Ardelean walked out of court free and clear. The 34-year-old tactical officer had been charged with aggravated DUI for the early Thanksgiving morning crash that killed 22-year-old Miguel Flores and 21-year-old Erick Lagunas.
"Every day I have to come into this house and every day I have to remind myself that he's not here," Nancy Flores said. "And Ardelean is walking around like he did nothing wrong. And that's not right."
A judge ruled Friday there was not enough evidence to support the charge that drunken driving caused the accident, and threw the case out. Testimony that Lagunas blew a stop sign and that Ardelean's blood alcohol level was .032 -- below the legal limit -- factored into the judge's decision.
"He did blow and it was .032 but that was 7 ½ almost 8 hours after the accident," Nancy Flores said. "Whether Erick or not ran the stop sign, we're not here to ask Erick. Erick's life was taken away."
Further troubling to Miguel Flores' sister are witness accounts that Ardelean was driving around 60 miles an hour on the strip of Damen Avenue near Oakdale, weaving across the center line of the two-lane road trying to pass other cars when his sport-utility vehicle hit the Pontiac. She says all of it raises questions about how the system treats police officers versus how it treats everybody else.
"Who are they protecting? Are they here to protect us or do they feel because maybe sometimes they get the short end of the stick they feel that they have to protect each other? That should not be the case," she said.
But Ardelean's attorney says the facts show this is a terrible tragedy, not a crime. He says Ardelean is extremely sorry and heartbroken about what happened, adding he would like to meet with the Flores and Lagunas families. But Nancy Flores isn't sure what needs to happen next.
Ardelean's attorney also pointed out Ardelean is a Gulf War veteran, was in the National Guard and has never been in any trouble before.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
