Drunken Driver Flees From Fiery Crash That Kills Woman: Cops

OAK PARK, IL — A man has been arrested after a fiery crash on the Stevenson Expressway that killed a 23-year-old woman in an Uber car. Police said the man was drunk when he crashed into the back of the car in Chicago.

Rami Matariyeh, 23, has been charged with reckless homicide in the death of Jamie Poulos, of Berwyn.

Police said Matariyeh was driving a sedan south on the highway, when it struck the back of Poulos' Uber car, which became fully engulfed in flames.

Matariyeh fled the scene right after the crash, police said. Officers tracked his license plate to his home in Homer Glen, and arrived before he did, finding him asleep in a ride-share vehicle that took him home, according to the Chicago Tribune. Police said he was slurring his words and a blood draw at the hospital showed he had blood alcohol content almost three times the legal limit for driving, the Tribune reported.

Anastacio Morales, 23, was also a passenger in the burning Uber car, and was on fire when he escaped, the Tribune reported. Morales pulled the Uber driver and another passenger from the burning vehicle, but wasn't able to get Poulos out of the car. She died at the scene, authorities said.

Poulos, a college student, was out celebrating her 23rd birthday when she died.

Matariyeh has been charged with reckless homicide, failure to report an accident causing death, aggravated driving under the influence and failure to report an accident causing injury, authorities said.

Matariyeh was scheduled to appear at a bond hearing on Tuesday.