Hinsdale DUI Suspects: Just 1 Beer

HINSDALE, IL — Two men were arrested on DUI charges in Hinsdale within days of one another in September. They shared one thing in common: Both said they had just one beer before being stopped. The police reports indicated otherwise.

Luis Jose Ciprian, 39, of Blue Island, and Reginald Harris, 49, of Chicago, were arrested on charges of DUI.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the police reports for both arrests.

According to the documents, Ciprian was driving a van about 10 a.m. Sept. 10 when he collided with a Buick in the 300 block of West North Street.

Asked what happened, Ciprian, who had a Mexican identification card, told an officer, "I was in an accident," police said.

The officer reported Ciprian's speech was slow and slurred and that he was struggling to keep his balance. The officer said he also noticed an odor of alcohol coming from Ciprian.

Ciprian said he had one beer — a Bud Light, according to the police report. However, an officer found a cooler in the car containing mostly empty Bud Light cans, police said.

In the other case, about 1 a.m. Sept. 12, an officer noticed Harris, who was driving a sedan, speeding 52 mph in a 35 mph zone in the 300 block of East 55th Street, according to the police report. Harris did not immediately pull over, with the officer noticing that he crossed over a white line by 6 inches, police said.

In his report, the officer said Harris smelled of alcohol and his eyes appeared glassy and bloodshot. Harris said he worked at Good Samaritan Hospital and had one Budweiser beer — a "little one" — before leaving the parking lot, police said. He also told the officer that he was drinking water, showing a half empty bottle.

On his way to the Hinsdale police station, Harris repeatedly said the officer had racially profiled him, saying he was stopped because he was black, according to the report.

In both cases, the men were released on bond.