Drunk Man Left Injured Girlfriend After Des Plaines Crash: Police

DES PLAINES, IL — Police said a man was driving drunk when he crashed a car and fled the scene in Des Plaines early Monday morning, abandoning his injured girlfriend inside. Around 2:20 a.m., a white Lexus was speeding west down Ballard Road toward the intersection with Rand Road when it failed to take the turn, hit a power line and a utility box and went careening off the road before coming to a stop in the woods.

Rescuers arrived to find a semi-conscious woman in the passenger seat with her seatbelt still on and the driver's seat empty. Firefighters extricated her from the car and took her to Lutheran General Hospital. But after police and fire personnel conducted two grid searches, Cmdr. Dan Shanahan said, the driver was still nowhere to be found.

"We were calling in 50 other rescue and search volunteers because we were going to go all the way down the river," Shanahan said "But prior to that, that's when we located him."

Emil E. Nichitoi, 29, of Des Plaines, was found around 7:30 a.m. on the other side of the Des Plaines River. He was discovered in a parking lot after staff at the Chicago Behavior Hospital at 555 Wilson Ln. alerted authorities. He had apparently swam across the river.

Police said he had no shoes, socks or coat and his clothes were soaking wet. He also had cuts consistent with having been in a car crash and smelled of alcohol, according to Shanahan.

"We had already called in the search party and they were gearing up, but when we found him we determined he was the only other occupant in the vehicle, and we called that off," he said.

On Monday, police described him as a person of interest. Wednesday morning, after speaking with witnesses and collecting evidence, they announced felony charges against the alleged drunk driver.

Nichitoi was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, fleeing the scene of personal injury accident, which are both felonies because of the serious injuries to his girlfriend, as well as misdemeanor DUI. He was also cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane usage.

Police said his girlfriend remains hospitalized, although she is expected to make a full recovery.

Two injured in Lexus that hit a utility pole & ran off Ballard Rd into woods near Des Plaines River. Rand Road still closed for electrical repairs. @fox32news pic.twitter.com/dSnVtedTjg
— Joanie Lum FOX 32 (@JoanieLum) April 2, 2018

More: Des Plaines Crash Injures Woman, Man Found After 5-Hour Search