Boy Falls Out Of Car On River Road, Joliet Chiropractor Faces Charges

SHOREWOOD, IL — Dr. Frank Ostir faces a warrant for his arrest on two counts of endangering the life or health of a child after a little boy almost 2 years old fell out of Ostir's car while the 57-year-old Shorewood resident drove south on River Road near Wheatland Drive, according to Shorewood Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten.

On Monday, Will County Judge Ken Zelazo issued a warrant for Ostir's arrest and set bail at $10,000. Ostir lives in the 1100 block of Rushwood Avenue in the Country West subdivision of Shorewood.

During Thursday's interview with Joliet Patch, Barten said Shorewood police were notified of the incident by another motorist around 2:35 p.m. on Feb. 13.

"The female caller saw a small child fall out of the back door of a vehicle. She was driving behind him while it happened," Barten said. "The child fell out of the rear passenger seat, the driver stopped, got out and picked up the child and put him back on his lap and left the scene."

Later that afternoon, the child's mother brought her son, who was 21 months old, to Morris Hospital, where the child was later treated and released. That same day, the mother brought the child to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago for further evaluation, Barten said.

The child did not suffer any serious head trauma or brain injury, according to Barten. "Thankfully, they were limited to abrasions and bruises," he said of the child's fall from a moving car onto the asphalt pavement along River Road.

The mother contacted the Shorewood Police Department on Feb. 15. Barten described Dr. Ostir as an acquaintance of the child's mother.

"He contacted her and let her know her son was injured," Barten said. "As to how he was injured, his story was inconsistent that he gave the mother of the child. We did obtain video from that area, and that dispelled Ostir's original account to the mother."

Barten said the Shorewood police investigation determined the little boy was not strapped in a child safety restraint as the law required. Since the criminal investigation, Ostir has retained an attorney in private practice, according to Shorewood police.

As of Thursday morning, Ostir has not turned himself in to Shorewood's Police Department. The defendant runs Ostir Physical Medicine and Chiropractic at 1024 Essington Road in Joliet, and he's been a licensed chiropractor in Joliet for more than 25 years.

"The warrant is outstanding," Barten told Patch. "We're looking for a level of cooperation that we haven't so far received."

Barten said the criminal investigation into the River Road incident determined "the child was unsecured in the rear seat."

There was no attempt by Ostir to put the toddler into any type of seat belt, Barten noted.

Patch UPDATE: Dr. Frank Ostir Surrenders To Shorewood Police After Patch Story