Oak Lawn Village Manager Placed On Paid Leave After Accident

OAK LAWN, IL — After a little more than an hour of deliberation in executive session Monday morning, Oak Lawn trustees voted unanimously to place Village Manager Larry Deetjen on paid administrative leave. Deetjen will remain on leave pending the outcome of a Chicago Ridge police investigation into an accident in which Deetjen is accused of leaving the scene that left a pedestrian critically injured last week.

Village board members also named Oak Lawn Police Chief Randy Palmer as acting village manager. Palmer will recuse himself from any matters related to the Chicago Ridge police investigation into the accident.

Deetjen is said to have told police that he “heard a thump” and was unaware he hit a pedestrian when driving in the area of 101st Street and Harlem Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Oct. 10.

Chicago Ridge police officers took the 70-year-old Deetjen into custody at his Oak Lawn home that same evening after witnesses provided information to police about a Crown Victoria with municipal plates allegedly leaving the scene. The vehicle showed up as being registered to the Village of Oak Lawn, which was provided to Deetjen for village business. Deetjen was reportedly driving home after attending a wake for a village employee’s father.

Deetjen is said to be cooperating with the Chicago Ridge police in their investigation. A breathalyzer test taken in the hours after the accident indicated no presence of alcohol. Urine samples have been sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for further analysis. Such results could take weeks or months to return due to a backlog at the state crime lab. Deetjen has since been released from police custody and has not been charged.

Trustees Tim Desmond (Dist. 1), Alex Oleniczak (Dist. 2), Paul Mallo (Dist. 3), Bud Stalker (Dist. 5) and Tom Phelan (Dist. 6) approved the measure to place Deetjen on paid administrative leave. Tr. Terry Vorderer (Dist 4), is vacationing outside the United States. The village trustees also named the police chief acting village manager, effective immediately.

In December 2013, Deetjen drove a village-owned Crown Victoria into a ditch in Palos Park during a snowstorm. Deethen and his late wife, Lynn, left the stranded vehicle and walked to a nearby store. Oak Lawn public works employees towed the car back to Oak Lawn. Another village employee picked up the couple. Because there was no property damage, Deetjen was not cited. Court records also show Deetjen as having a clean traffic record in Cook County.

After Monday’s meeting, Desmond said the injured pedestrian’s family has been communicating with the village through their attorney. The 48-year-old man is believed to still be recovering at Advocate Christ Medical Center with severe injuries.

Mayor Sandra Bury said the village board considered several options on the table, but trustees voted to place Deetjen on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the Chicago Ridge police investigation.

“We have an excellent management team. They all work together and will be supportive of Chief Palmer,” Bury said. “We have a lot of exciting projects in Oak Lawn and we’re going to move them forward. We’re going to do it as seamlessly as possible.”

Asked if Deetjen would be granted use of another village-owned vehicle while on paid leave, Bury said she did not believe that issue had been discussed. The mayor also said that she spoke to Deetjen over the weekend, who said their conversation centered around the village manager’s family that had gathered to scatter his wife’s ashes. Deetjen's wife passed away from cancer in August.

“It’s a horrible accident and pending the investigation’s completion, I don’t feel I should speculate,” Bury said. “Our hearts are distraught. No one wanted this but we’re going to move on with the work of the Village of Oak Lawn. We will be fine.”