3 Homes Damaged, Tree Uprooted in St. Charles DUI Crash

ST. CHARLE, IL - A 34-year-old St. Charles man is in custody for drunken driving after he drove off 3rd Street in St. Charles early Wednesday, striking two homes and uprooting a tree in the process, police said.

Richard J. Rusin, of 6N619 Greenlawn Avenue in St. Charles, has been charged with driving under the influence and improper lane usage in connection with the early morning crash, according to a St. Charles Police Department press release. He is currently being treated at Delnor Hospital for injuries sustained during the collision, which occurred at 1:33 a.m. in the 700 block of South 3rd Street.

Rusin was driving north in a 2005 Lincoln in the area of South 3rd Street and Bowman Street when he failed to negotiate the curve and left the roadway. The vehicle went into the lawn and was launched airborne after hitting a berm between two adjacent yards, according to the news release.

The vehicle struck a guide wire for a utility pole, uprooted a small tree, struck one house 10 feet off the ground and then hit another house. The vehicle landed upside down in the driveway. A third house had a window damaged by flying debris from the vehicle.

Rusin was released from custody on a personal recognizance bond and remained at the hospital Wednesday. His condition was not known, police said.

The crash caused a short interruption in the power for the area because the crash hit the guide wire for the utility pole, according to the news release.

The St. Charles Electric Department responded and restored the power to the area. The building inspector also was called to look over the damage to the houses. The houses were declared habitable but sustained serious damage.

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