Authorities: Driver's blood alcohol was .142 in Naperville quarry deaths
The Geneva man charged with drunken driving in a crash that killed two passengers had a blood alcohol concentration of .142 early Saturday morning after his car plunged into a water-filled Naperville quarry, authorities said Monday.
That put Michael T. Szot, 21, far above the legal limit of .08, the DuPage County State's Attorney's office said. Authorities said he also admitted smoking marijuana earlier in the day and was found in possession of a marijuana pipe.
Szot escaped the car when it sunk in the quarry that's normally used for park district paddleboats, but his passengers, Mihirtej Boddupalli, 21, of Lisle, and Sajaad Safiullah Syed, 21, of Naperville, died.
Szot posted the required $25,000 bond to get out of jail Monday while police continued to investigate the crash, authorities said.
He is awaiting arraignment on Aug. 11 on charges of aggravated DUI involving death and reckless homicide.
Szot is accused of losing control of the car about 1:45 a.m. Saturday as he drove west on Aurora Avenue at Eagle Street near downtown. Police said his 2007 Chevy Impala crashed through trees and a fence before plunging into the quarry.
The DuPage County coroner's office released preliminary autopsy results Monday, saying the cause of death for Boddupalli and Syed is “related to possible drowning.”
The coroner is still conducting toxicology tests and results from those tests will help as Naperville police continue their investigation into the crash, Sgt. Bill Davis said. Police are still looking for witnesses to contact the traffic unit at (630) 305-5285.