'Uber Driver Swerving All Over The Road' Charged With DUI: Police

NORTHBROOK, IL — An Uber driver arrested in Northbrook last month faces drunken driving charges after police investigated a call of a driver on the wrong side of the road, according to police reports. Witnesses told police they stopped him from picking up a passenger for the ride-hailing company before officers arrived and found him with a blood alcohol concentration more than three times the legal limit for intoxication.

Rodolfo Salazar, 32, of the 1500 block of Quaker Lane in Prospect Heights, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence with a BAC of 0.08 or above following his arrest around 11 p.m. June 21 near the intersection of Landwehr and Dundee roads. He was also issued a citation for illegal lane usage.

A couple at the scene told the first officer to arrive that they had just "witnessed an Uber driver swerving all over the road and driving in the oncoming traffic lane," according to police reports.

The driver then pulled his gray Nissan Altima into the parking lot at the Sky Harbor office complex in the 600 block of Landwehr Road, where a witness told police he was "about to pick up a passenger while driving with Uber."

The witness warned the passenger not to get into the car due to the apparent intoxication of the driver, later identified as Salazar, and an officer soon showed up at the parking lot, according to police.

Police said Salazar told an officer that he was driving for Uber and "was in the area to pick up a passenger." He admitted having a few drinks earlier that night before taking a nap, according to police.

During the conversation, Salazar's eyes appeared bloodshot and glassy and he smelled strongly of alcohol, according to the report. Police said he seemed sleepy and indifferent, slurred his speech and was unable to balance during the encounter.

After showing more than a dozen indications of impairment during field sobriety tests, police placed Salazar under arrest and took him back to the station. He first refused to provide a breath sample or sign the warning of DUI-related driving license suspensions.

About an hour after his arrest, police conducted a chemical breath test, revealing he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.259 — more than three times the legal limit. He posted $100 and his driver's license as bond, and officers gave him a ride back to Prospect Heights.

Uber spokesperson Kayla Whaling said she was unable to find a record of an Uber driver matching Salazar's name, address or vehicle, but did not respond when asked if any of its drivers in Illinois matched his name and age. Campbell Matthews, a spokesperson for Lyft, said she was looking into whether Salazar worked for the company. The company later confirmed that Salazar was not a driver for Lyft.

Salazar, who could not be reached for comment, is due in court in Skokie on Aug. 6.