Posted on Apr 25, 2012

A 19-year-old man has been charged with felony DUI after causing an accident on the Southwest Side of Chicago early Saturday morning that injured five people, three of them critically.

The crash occurred at about 2:45 a.m. in the 5700 block of South Kedzie Avenue, a few blocks east of Senka Park. Lathanniel Barajas was driving a Honda Accord south on Kedzie when his car drifted into the northbound lane and struck a Ford Crown Victoria taxi, which spun and hit a light pole.

According to Fire Media Affairs, emergency personnel who responded to the crash called five ambulances to the scene. Of the three injured that were in serious to critical condition, two were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and one was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

The remaining two injured people were in fair to serious condition. One was taken to Holy Cross Hospital and one to Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers in Evergreen Park.

Four of the five injured people had been riding in the taxi. The remaining injured person was a 17-year-old man who had been a passenger in Mr. Barajas’s car.

According to police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez, Barajas and one of the two passengers in his car were uninjured. He had initially been charged with DUI, failure to produce a driver’s license, failure to show proof of insurance, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Barajas was later charged with felony aggravated DUI involving bodily harm.

We would like to express our wishes for a successful recovery to all who were injured in this terrible accident.