Crime & Safety

Police: Island Lake Man BAC Four Times Legal Limit in Fatal Metra Crash

Francisco Carranza, 36, and his daughter, Alyssa Carranza, 7, were killed in the Jan. 22 accident near the intersection of Route 134 and Porter Drive in Round Lake Park, according to media reports.

Police said Monday a 36-year-old Island Lake man started drinking around noon on Jan. 22 and had a blood alcohol content level four times the legal limit when he drove him and his 7-year-old daughterΒ through a Metra crossing gate and collided with a train in Round Lake Park, according to the Daily Herald.Β 

Francisco Carranza, 36,Β died at the scene of the crashΒ and the body of hisΒ daughter, Alyssa M. Carranza, 7, who was aΒ second-grade student at St. Joseph Catholic School in Round Lake, was found 50 feet from the crash scene, according to theΒ Daily Herald.Β 

Round Lake Police said investigatorsΒ learned Carranza began drinking around noon with a group of six or sevenΒ friends at a Round Lake Beach restaurant before picking up his daughter atΒ 2 or 2:30 p.m. and then returning to the restaurant with AlyssaΒ and continuing to drink with his friends, according to the article.Β 

Police learned Carranza's group had a total tab of $249β€”mainly from beer and someΒ mixed drinks and little food β€” and he left the restaurant with Alyssa around 5:15 p.m., according to the Daily Herald.Β 

Police said the accident happened when CarranzaΒ was driving near the intersectionΒ of Route 134 and Porter Drive in Round Lake ParkΒ around 6 p.m. and thenΒ traveled over the Metra tracks and was hit by the Metra train, according toΒ CBS Chicago.Β 

Police saidΒ crossing gates were activeΒ at the time Carranza drove through them, according to anΒ earlier article from theΒ Daily Herald.Β 

Find out what's happening in Grayslakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

WGN-TVΒ reports surveillanceΒ video showed the SUV pulling upΒ to the crossing gatesΒ β€” while lights were flashing β€”Β and then shows the SUV suddenlyΒ driving through the gates and the crossing.

Police originally thought thereΒ was only one victimβ€”the fatherβ€”in the crash, according to theΒ Daily Herald. Allysa's body was found around 8 p.m. in a snowbank hours afterΒ she was ejected from the SUV,Β according toΒ ABC 7 Chicago.Β 

Francisco Carranza owned Carranza Insurance AgencyΒ and was well known throughout the community in Round Lake, according to anΒ ABC 7 ChicagoΒ video report.Β 

Read more on the Daily Herald.

Find out what's happening in Grayslakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.