Driver ticketed in crash that closed Des Plaines gym

Raojibhai C. Patel, 60, of 601 Pennsylvania Court in Arlington Heights, has been charged with two traffic violations after his car crashed through a window Thursday at Flex gym in Des Plaines.

The gym at 1453 Market St. remained closed Friday pending an inspection to make sure it is structurally sound and gym officials weren't sure when it would be allowed to reopen. Clients can use the Flex at 4401 W. Roosevelt Road in Hillside.

Patel was arrested around 5:50 p.m. Thursday and charged with illegal lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, Des Plaines police said.

His 2008 Honda Accord veered right off eastbound Market Street in the Metropolitan Way center, drove onto a parkway, struck a tree and hit a parked 2002 Chevrolet Prism before crashing into the gym, police said. The impact pushed the Prism into a 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe, reports added.

A 25-year-old Mount Prospect woman in the parked Prism and Patel were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with what appeared to be minor injuries. Hospital information wasn't available. A court date for Patel wasn't available.