Motorcyclist Gets DUI In Accident That 'Disfigured' Passenger

PALOS PARK, IL -- A Chicago man was arrested after it was discovered he was driving a motorcycle under the influence when he lost control and got into an accident that severely injured his passenger, prosecutors said. Omar Chavez, 38, appeared before Cook County Judge Michael Kane on a felony charge of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm. Chavez was ordered held without bond for a pending aggravated possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver..

Around 10:30 p.m. July 25, Palos Park police went to the scene of a one-vehicle accident near 111th Street and Parker Road. The prosecutor said Chavez was driving the motorcycle with a female passenger on the back when he lost control of the bike and crashed. Chavez and the woman were both brought to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

The woman had a laceration on her cheek which required eight stitches, the prosecutor said. She also suffered a loss of teeth and broken jaw that required immediate surgery and will most likely be permanently disfigured. Chavez allegedly consented to a DUI kit in the ER. He told officers at the scene that he drank two beers before driving the motorcycle; at the hospital he told ER staff that he had four beers, the prosecutor said.

Chavez received supervision for a 2015 unlawful use of a weapon charge. The prosecutor said that he also has an arrest for unlawful use of a weapon in Texas.

Bail was set at $100,000 for the new charge. A violation of bail bond was also issued. Chavez is due back in court Aug. 28 in Bridgeview.