Kid Helps Drunk Man Drive In Darien: Cops

DARIEN, IL — A 7-year-old girl grabbed an intoxicated man's steering wheel to help him drive because she was afraid he would crash, police said. The man was later arrested on DUI and other charges.

Mid-afternoon Oct. 19, a woman said she was driving west on 79th Street when she was stopped for the stop sign at Cass Avenue. The car in front of her did not move for three minutes, police said. The driver was later identified as Melvin Robinson, 41, of Willowbrook.

Patch obtained the police report through a public records request.

According to the report, the woman told police she saw a child trying to hold the driver's head up and thought they were playing around. The woman walked to Robinson's car and asked if he was fine. Robinson got out, but fell, police said. He then returned to his car, reversed and almost hit the woman's car, the report said. She called 911.

A responding police officer saw Robinson's car headed south on Clarendon Hills Road at 80th Street. Robinson then crossed the double yellow line into oncoming traffic, passing two other vehicles before returning to the right lane, police said. He slowed to 5 mph for a while.

Officers said they tried to stop Robinson for nearly 1½ miles before he finally pulled over in the 200 block of Central Avenue in Willowbrook, where he lives.

Robinson, who contended he had not seen police trying to pull him over, said he had one shot of alcohol, police said. When he was asked to perform field sobriety tests, Robinson declined, saying he had already arrived home, according to the report. He said he had no identification and only gave his first name. Fingerprints later confirmed his identity, police said.

The 7-year-old girl told police about her efforts to help the man avoid a crash. And Robinson said his aunt in Bolingbrook takes care of the girl when he does not, police said. Police contacted the aunt to pick up the girl.

In a search of Robinson's car, police found three open cans of beer, with 8 percent alcohol concentration, and an open bottle of brandy, with 40 percent alcohol concentration, according to the report. They also discovered an unmarked prescription bottle with white pills and a green unsealed container containing suspected marijuana, police said.

Robinson's blood-alcohol level was .24, three times the legal limit, the report said.

Robinson was charged with DUI, endangering the health or life of a child, obstructing identification, fleeing or eluding police, unlawful possession of marijuana by a driver, transportation of open alcohol, driving on the wrong side of the road and improper lane usage.

Police said more charges were pending lab results. Robinson was released on bond.