Forest Park police made eight traffic arrests, including an Addison man charged with DUI, when they conducted an early morning roadside safety check at 949 S. Harlem on Nov. 23, between midnight and 3 a.m.
Police said southbound Harlem Avenue was reduced from two lanes to one between Lexington and Harvard. Officers were stationed at the Mobil gas station at 949 S. Harlem Ave. and assigned to divert every fifth vehicle travelling southbound on Harlem Ave. into the parking lot.
In the DUI arrest, police said they pulled over a 2013 white Kia and observed the driver, a 38 year old man from Addison, exhibited red bloodshot glassy eyes and slurred speech. He told police he had been drinking at Short Stop Bar on Madison Street and had consumed five beers and two Long Island ice teas. He failed field sobriety tests but refused to blow a Breathalyzer test. A name-check revealed the driver had a revoked Illinois driver’s license for DUI as well as three subsequent driving with license suspended convictions. He told police he was driving his passengers (who allegedly acknowledged they were drunk) home to Cicero and then was going to continue to Addison. The assistant state’s attorney’s office approved felony driving with license revoked and DUI charges.
Officers were also on the lookout for cars with equipment violations and for car occupants not wearing seatbelts.
A total of 172 vehicles were directed into the safety check point, said Forest Park Deputy Chief Tom Aftanas.
Police made eight arrests for no valid driver’s license, driving with licenses revoked and suspended and DUI. They also wrote twelve state tickets and five compliance tickets. They made one cannabis arrest, and one warrant arrest. Eight vehicles were administratively towed as a result of traffic arrests.
Broken down further:
- One passenger in a vehicle with cited under a local ordinance for Possession of Cannabis.
- One warrant arrest was made.
- Three occupants of autos were cited with Possession of Open Alcohol
- Four drivers were arrested for Driving While License Suspended or Revoked.
- Three drivers were arrested for No Valid Driver’s License.
- Four people were issued citations for No Valid Proof of Insurance.
- Five motorists were given tickets for lighting infractions.
- One citation was written for a registration related offense.
- Two tickets were issued for offenses involving driver’s licenses.
- One person was cited for not wearing a seatbelt.
- Two citations were issued for Failure to Signal When Required.
- One driver was cited for Improper U-Turn.
