Joliet Man Helps Stop Drunken Driver

Photo provided by Ryan Rose.

When 20-year-old Ryan Rose was standing outside his house May 8, he didn’t expect he would be involved with helping to stop a drunken driver, but he did what he thought anyone would do.

It was evening and raining and Rose was outside talking to his dad on the phone when he noticed a car slowly making its way down Wexford Lane in Joliet. He knew something was wrong when the man drove onto the neighbor’s lawn.

“I walked over and was going to see what was wrong and then all of a sudden he slammed on the gas and went driving down the street.”

Rose chased after the car, but there was no way to stop it without actually getting inside it, so that’s what Rose did.

“I jumped into the car while he was driving and was able to get my foot on the brake and put it into park,” Rose said. “Thank God I was there at the right time.”

By the time Rose caught up with the car, he estimates it was going around 15 mph.

Luckily, Rose is training for a marathon.

The driver had two flat tires on the right-hand side of his car. According to Rose, he had hit a few signs before getting into his neighborhood.

“He didn’t know where he was at or what he was doing when I was talking to him,” Rose said. “He was kind of mumbling.”

After Rose gained control of the car, neighbors of his opened up their garage to park the car and sat with the man until the police and medics arrived.

When the police arrived, Rose told them about what he had done and the officers thanked him for helping out.

Rose remained modest about what he did, even when speaking to the police.

“I don’t like to brag, but I was telling them what happened and the instinct that obviously kicks in when something like that happens,” Rose said. “If the car would have kept going it would have driven straight into the house at the end of the block.”

Had the car arrived in the neighborhood any earlier, it very well could have hit some kids playing in the same yard the man drove across.

“Right before it was raining, they were outside playing in the yard and their dad was cutting the grass,” Rose said. “I was thanking God that didn’t happen any earlier.”

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