$500K Bond Set For Geneva Man After Deadly Drunken Crash: Police

GENEVA, IL — A $500,000 bond has been set for a Geneva man whom police said was driving drunk in Aurora Monday when he crashed into men loading a refrigerator onto a truck, prosecutors said Thursday. An elderly man died in the crash.

Nicholas Roepke, of the 0N200 block of Dooley Drive in Geneva, was charged with one count of aggravated DUI causing death, one count of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm and two counts of misdemeanor DUI.

After a fridge fell out of a pickup truck Monday evening, two men, including 73-year-old Willie Posey, pulled over to help reload the appliance onto the vehicle, according to the DuPage State's Attorney's Office. At the same time, Roepke was driving north on Eola Road Monday evening with one other person in the car when he crashed into the good Samaritans, Aurora police said.

When officers arrived on the scene around 7:40 p.m., they found Posey pinned between Roepke's car and the truck with serious injures. The Maywood man was immediately taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The two other men reloading the fridge were also injured. The passenger in Roepke's car sustained minor injures, but officials said he refused medical treatment.

Police said at the time of the crash, Roepke was driving with blood alcohol content of 0.214, almost three times the legal limit of 0.08.

The 29-year-old driver was treated for minor injures at a local hospital before released to the Aurora Police Department.

Roepke appeared in court Thursday morning. Judge Michael Reidy set his bond at $500,000, with 10 percent to apply. The man's next court date, for arraignment, is set for April 21.

"The complete disregard for the safety of the motoring public allegedly displayed by Mr. Roepke as he operated a motor vehicle with a BAC nearly three times the legal limit will not be tolerated in DuPage County," Berlin said. "Driving is a privilege, not a right and if the charges against Mr. Roepke are proven true, he will face significant consequences."

Berlin continued: "To the family and friends of Mr. Posey, I offer my sincere condolences on their loss. I commend the Aurora Police Department for their work not only in this case but for their continued efforts in keeping our roadways safe. I thank the members of the Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigative Team Major Crash Reconstruction Team for their work. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Denis Cahill and Helen Kapas for their efforts in preparing a strong case against Mr. Roepke."

In a statement of his own, Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross said the Aurora Police Department has a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"This tragic crash that resulted in the loss of someone's life could have been potentially avoided if someone didn’t get behind the wheel while they were intoxicated," he said.