Barrington woman charged after SUV plows into neighbor's house

A Barrington woman has been charged with drunken driving after her SUV plowed through the garage and into the home of her neighbor.

Elaine Enger, 55, of the 100 block of East Hillside Avenue in Barrington, was on probation for an earlier DUI conviction when the crash occurred on the 700 block of South Cook Street Monday night.

She was arrested at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital near Lake Barrington, where she was treated after the crash.

Barrington Police Chief Jeff Lawler said a resident of the house was in an adjoining room when the SUV crashed in, but the resident wasn’t injured. The house itself was deemed temporarily uninhabitable by Barrington’s building department, Lawler said.

Charges include aggravated DUI, driving 40 mph or more above the speed limit, driving with a suspended or revoked license, violating a stop sign and driving without a seat belt. Further charges may be pending, Lawler said.

The speeding and stop sign charges stem from witness testimony and a crash reconstruction, Lawler said.

Barrington police have subpoenaed but not yet received the results of Enger’s blood-alcohol test done at the hospital. The DUI charge is based on the odor of alcohol and Enger’s behavior at the crash scene and hospital, the chief said.

The felony charge of aggravated DUI is an indication of previous DUI convictions against Enger, he added.

Police said Enger’s bond was set at $20,000 and she’s due back in court in Rolling Meadows on April 27.

Enger was on two years’ probation after pleading guilty last year to DUI charges from a 2007 arrest. Prosecutors are trying to revoke that probation.