Rail Crossing Crash: Drunken Man Driving 100 MPH At Intersection

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Following a traffic crash caused by a speeding car striking and knocking down railroad signals, while also shutting down a portion of Arlington Heights Road at Northwest Highway for five hours Sunday, a Northfield man is facing a multitude of charges.

Police announced Tuesday that Johnny Benitez, 31, of the 900 block of 9th Street, is being charged in connection with the crash with the following:

• aggravated driving under the influence (class 4 felony)
• driving under the influence of alcohol (class A misdemeanor)
• reckless driving (class A misdemeanor)
• driving on a revoked driver's license (class A misdemeanor)
• speeding more than 35 mph over the speed limit (class A misdemeanor)
• improper lane usage (traffic offense)
• failure to reduce speed (traffic offense)
• operating an uninsured motor vehicle (traffic offense)
• failure to wear a seatbelt (traffic offense)

Benitez, who is currently being held in the Cook County Jail, was issued a $15,000 D-bond Tuesday and assigned a court date of Nov. 23.

RELATED: Car Crash Near Metra Shuts Down Arlington Heights Road For Hours

According to police, Benitez, who was driving a 2020 Nissan Juke, was traveling southbound on Arlington Heights Road, approaching Northwest Highway, at around 7:30 a.m., adjacent to the Union Pacific grade crossing. The car was traveling at speeds in excess of 100 mph just prior to sideswiping a 2010 Toyota Camry, which police said was also traveling southbound and had just started in traffic for a green light.

Police said Benitez then lost control of his car and struck the rail grade crossing signal standard on the northwest corner of the crossing. The car then came to a rest within the crossing, resulting in all three tracks being closed for several hours.

Each car was occupied by a driver only. Arlington Heights fire personnel extricated Benitez from his car and provided immediate medical care. He was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge for treatment of injuries. The driver of the other car also received medical attention at the scene and was taken to Northwest Community Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Union Pacific Railroad quickly responded to the scene following the traffic crash to begin necessary repairs of the damaged grade crossing signals, according to police. Since the crash, all incoming train traffic has been required to provide an audible signal (train horn) when approaching the crossing due to the temporary nature of the repairs.

The entire crash was caught on video from an exterior business surveillance camera mounted near the intersection, according to police.

View crash video here courtesy of Arlington Heights Police Department