Drunk Driver Crashes Chevy Volt Into Tree: Crime Reports

NORTHFIELD, IL — The following information comes from the Northfield Police Department as a record of police activity and of those arrested. Readers are reminded that an arrest is not an indicator of guilt and criminal charges represent merely accusations by the state, which are often dropped or reduced. All persons named are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

INCIDENTS

IDENTITY THEFT

In the only incident reported to the Winnetka Police Department, a resident in the 800 block of Locust Street reported that someone used their personal information to open up several bank accounts between June 18 and Aug. 22. There was no immediate reported loss.

CAR BURGLARY

On Sept. 6 at 8:38 a.m. a resident reported her vehicle had been burglarized while left unlocked in the Middlefork School Parking Lot, 405 Wagner Rd., the previous day. She told police someone stole three credit cards. Two fraudulent charges were made, including one at the Apple Store for $6,143.80 and one at Starbucks for $202.47. The case remains under investigation.

BAD CHECK

On Sept. 7, a customer at an auto dealership in the 700 block of West Frontage Road reportedly left a check for payment of services, but it was later returned due insufficient funds. The reported loss was $1,115 and the case remains under investigation.

ARRESTS/CITATIONS

FORGERY

Alex V. Petik, 29, of the 1600 block of West Peterson Avenue in Chicago was arrested Sept. 5 in Chicago by Department of Homeland Security and United States Postal Inspectors who witnessed him enter a suspect vehicle. After they stopped the vehicle they learned he was the subject of a warrant from Northfield for forgery in connection with an incident involved in a fraudulent check at Glenview State Bank on Feb. 23.

As of Tuesday, Petik was being held at Cook County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond ahead of a Sept. 27 court date.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

A 41-year-old Chicago man was arrested Sept. 7 at 5:47 p.m. near the intersection of westbound Willow Road and Sunset Ridge Road and charged with driving while license suspended. He was also issued a citation for unlawful use of a communications device.

SUSPENDED LICENSE

A 23-year-old Glenview man was arrested Sept. 8 at 7:12 p.m. after officers on routine patrol near the intersection of westbound Willow and Waukegan roads and charged with driving with a suspended license after officers saw him using a cell phone while driving. He was also issued a citation for unlawful use of a communication device.

CURFEW CITATION

A 17-year-old Wilmette boy was cited for a local ordinance curfew violation around 4:44 a.m. on Sept. 9 after police witnessed two people on bicycles riding in the 300 block of Dickens Street. One of the riders feel into a ditch but was uninjured. One of the two was a juvenile, who was cited and released to a parent.

CANNABIS, PIPE

A 19-year-old Northfield man was arrested on Sept. 10 at 7:58 p.m. and issued cannabis-related tickets after he was witnessed speeding out of the Northshore Senior Center with a "cloud of smoke with a strong odor of burnt cannabis" coming from his vehicle. The man was taken into custody and a small bag of marijuana and a warm glass pipe was confiscated by Northfield Police. He was issued local ordinance citations for possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia.

DUI CRASH

Matthew J. Fair, 34, of the 200 block of Wagner Road, was arrested and hospitalized after a traffic crash Sept. 10 around 11:45 p.m. Police responded to a report of an intoxicated motorist behind the wheel of a silver Chevy Volt. While patroling on westbound Willow Road, a Northfield officer found Fair in a heavily damaged silver vehicle off to the side of the road with its airbags deployed after striking a tree.

Police said the vehicle was headed eastbound on Willow Road approaching Chapel Hill Court when it drove off the road and hit two trees and an IDOT sign in the south parkway before hitting a larger tree and coming to a stop south of Willow. Fair, who police said had a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limt (0.189) was taken to Glenbrook Hospital and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and issued citations for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and damage to public property. He forfeited his driver's license as bond pending court an Oct. 27 court date.

_{Top photo: The silver Chevy Volt police say a highly intoxicated Matthew J. Fair crashed into a tree on Willow Road (Northfield PD)}