0.28 BAC, Joliet Motorist Puts His Mom, Dad In Hospital: Prosecution

JOLIET, IL — Will County Judge Don DeWilkins disagreed with efforts by the Will County State's Attorney's Office to keep 32-year-old Chicagoan Andre Sims in Will County's Jail after prosecutors say Sims was more than triple the legal limit to be considered driving drunk during Monday's wreck along Route 53 and Doris Avenue, on Joliet's east side.

Sims' father and mother, Elijah Sims and Marceline Sims, went to the hospital after the wreck. His mother suffered a fracture to her left leg, court records show. Joliet police arrested Andre Sims on four felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence; his breath sample registered a 0.28, according to Will County prosecutor Jaclyn Sweeney.

After spending three days in custody, Sims was released on Valentine's Day.

According to Sweeney's petition trying to deny pretrial release —Joliet police were called to Doris Avenue and South Chicago Street, which is Route 53, for a crash with injuries.

A white 2022 Kia Forte had heavy front end damage, and was smashed against the concrete wall on Chicago Street. The Kia was facing north in the southbound lanes of Route 53 and a black Chevy Tahoe was stopped in the curb lane of northbound Route 53, and it also had damage to the driver's side door and one of the tires.

Andre Sims was driver of the white Kia, and he signed a medical refusal report, according to prosecutors.

"He was unable to explain how the crash occurred," Sweeney wrote in her petition. "Sims said he was coming from a friend's house and had consumed a glass of Boone's Farm Wine. He was unsteady on his feet, needed assistance walking, and handed an officer his FOID card when asked for his driver's license."

At the crash site, Joliet police ordered Sims to perform the field sobriety tests and "Sims performed poorly," the prosecutor indicated.

Inside the wrecked Kia of Andre Sims, Joliet police found "a nearly empty bottle of New Amsterdam Vodka on the front passenger floorboard," the prosecutor informed the judge.

Despite the blood-alcohol concentration of Andre Sims registering 0.28, Judge DeWilkins checked the box indicating "the court denied the State's Petition to Detain for the following reasons: 'less restrictive means.'"

Judge DeWilkins ordered Andre Sims to obtain a SCRAM device upon Wednesday's release from the Will County Jail, pay a $75 installation fee and a daily fee determined by SCRAM Systems of Illinois. Moreover, Sims was ordered by the judge to completely abstain from alcohol while in the SCRAM program and "not to tamper with, obstruct or attempt to defeat the SCRAM bracelet or modem."

SCRAM stands for Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring program.

Sims' next pretrial hearing is set for Feb. 28 in Courtroom 405 of Judge Dave Carlson.