Drunken Driver Had 2 Kids In Car: Cops

OAK FOREST, IL — A Chicago man was arrested after he fell out of his parked car while intoxicated, prosecutors said. Gary Johnson, 55, appeared Monday before Cook County Judge John Mahoney on a felony DUI charge. Johnson is also charged with two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment.

Around 11 p.m. Feb. 2, Oak Forest police noticed a Dodge Ram truck driving erratically on Cicero Avenue. Moments later the truck was spotted parked at the side of the road. The driver, later identified as Johnson, got of out of the vehicle, swayed and fell to the ground, the prosecutor said.

Officers said Johnson showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, and appeared confused and disoriented. The prosecutor said that two young children, ages 1 and 7, were found unrestrained in the back seat.

Johnson allegedly refused chemical testing. The prosecutor said Johnson told the police he drank alcoholic beverages before getting behind the wheel, but did say how many.

“You can’t be out drinking and driving with kids in the car,” Mahoney said. “You’re a menace.”

Bail was set at $100,000. Johnson is due back in court Feb. 20 in Bridgeview.