Hinsdale Car Wash Violations Since 2007 Shown In Photos

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale is receiving complaints that Fuller's Car Wash illegally uses the sidewalk and the village's right of way to park cars.

Those complaining include Brian Richards, the father of the 14-year-old boy, Sean Patrick Richards, who was struck and killed by a car driven by a Fuller's employee on July 17.

The parking issue is hardly new. Looking at Google Street View photos, Patch found it has been a problem going back more than 16 years.

Through the photos, it can be determined that one car was parked on the sidewalk or the village's right of way in August 2022, two in August 2019, three in September 2012 and one in October 2007.

Fuller's has not returned Patch's messages for comment.

In the crash, Sean Patrick Richards was walking by the business. Some say Fuller's creates traffic problems at Chicago Avenue and Lincoln Street.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the father's recent emails to village officials.

In a Jan. 10 message, Brian Richards presented a link to a Google Maps aerial photo showing at least three cars parked on the sidewalk or village right-of-way.

Richards also noted the wear on the sidewalk on the east side of the car wash. This is the path where the Fuller's employee struck Sean Patrick Richards and then crashed into Fontano's Subs across the street.

"From the tire wear and tear, you can plainly see that Fuller's utilizes the sidewalk, the public right of way and the oncoming traffic lane (southbound) to store and move northbound cars," Richards said.

Shortly after the 14-year-old's death, Fuller's placed concrete-filled bollards in an attempt to prevent crashes. The village recently required the business to install even more. An engineer hired by Richards contends the bollards would not be enough to stop a typical passenger pickup truck traveling 30 mph

Despite the bollards, Richards said, "Fuller's continues to utilize the public right of way in the same manner, driving around the bollards to do so. When confronted, Fuller's response was that they had nowhere else to put the cars."

He asked village officials whether Fuller's permit lets it operate in such a manner. And he inquired about the number of citations given to Fuller's.

In a Jan. 23 email, Richards told Village President Tom Cauley and Police Chief Brian King, "I am still waiting to hear from Tom regarding the permit and any citations or actions taken by the village against Fuller's."

Richards said the police received photos a couple of days earlier of employees driving around the bollards and parking cars on the sidewalk or driving across the sidewalk to park on the parkway, which is public property.

He referred to a resident who went to the police station and registered a complaint.

"My understanding is that Fuller's was not ticketed for their actions because, by the time the complaint was received and investigated, the vehicles had been moved," Richards said. "If the village's position is that not only does Fuller's need to be caught in the act but the act must be continuing until a police officer arrives at the scene, then Fuller's will continue to get away with breaking the law."

Shortly after Richards' second email, Cauley responded, promising to see whether a village staffer could get the information.

"(A)s Village President, I'm never been involved in the issuance of citations to specific Hinsdale businesses by the Police Department or the Village's Code enforcement officer, or in tracking citations to specific businesses," Cauley said.

In an email later the same day, King said he had spoken with Fuller's owner, Doug Fuller, the previous week. He said the owner promised to have cones on the property to eliminate the possibility of employees parking cars in the right of way.

As with any other complaint, King said, the village's parking control officer would conduct compliance checks and issue tickets for violations.

At that night's Village Board meeting, Cauley also said the village would issue tickets if it finds violations.

After a police investigation, the 16-year-old employee received three traffic citations, but was not criminally charged.

In this Google Maps photo in October 2007, a car is seen parked in Hinsdale's right of way. (Google Maps)

In this Google Maps photo in September 2012, three cars are seen parked in Hinsdale's right of way. Two are on the east side of Fuller's Car Wash and one is on the north side. (Google Maps)

In this Google Maps photo in August 2019, two SUVs are seen parked in Hinsdale's right of way. (Google Maps)