Police: Gilberts man charged with 5th DUI, 'unaware' of crash
A 56-year-old Gilberts man had a blood-alcohol level nearly 3½ times the legal limit after being arrested by Elgin Police and charged with his fifth DUI, records show.
Terrance P. Gallagher faces four to 15 years in prison on felony charges of aggravated driving under the influence.
Police arrested him at his home in the 700 block of Tipperary Street after a hit-and-run crash at 4:28 p.m. Saturday at Randall and Big Timber roads in Elgin, records show.
According to court documents, Gallagher was northbound on Randall Road in his Toyota Sienna when he crashed into another vehicle and drove away. But motorists got his license number and police went to Gallagher's home, where he either denied involvement in the crash or was oblivious that it even occurred, according to Elgin police.
“Gallagher's breath had (an) alcohol smell, his eyes were glassy and bloodshot,” wrote the arresting officer in a report. “He was unaware he was involved in a crash. Gallagher admitted to drinking.”
According to court records, tests showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.276 percent. The legal threshold in Illinois is 0.08 percent.
He also is charged with driving without insurance, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, and driving while license revoked for at least the sixth time, records show.
According to court documents, Gallagher had DUI arrests in Cook County in December 1988, September 1991, and June 1996, along with an arrest in Lake County in September 1990. All resulted in convictions, court records said.
He also was arrested at least five times for driving while license revoked: in DuPage County in October 1980; in Cook County in June 1996 and August 1999; and Lake County in October 1996 and May 2003.
Gallagher is being held on $500,000 bond, meaning he must post $50,000 to be free while his case is pending.
He is next due in court on Aug. 1. It was not immediately clear if Gallagher had his own attorney or if a public defender was appointed to represent him.