Aurora man charged with 3rd DUI after crash into fence injures woman
A 41-year-old Aurora man has been charged with his third drunken driving arrest after authorities said he crashed into a fence and a tree Sunday near North Aurora, injuring his female passenger.
Juan L. Hernandez, of the 700 block of Trask Street, faces felony charges of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm, aggravated DUI-3rd offense, misdemeanor DUI, DUI with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or more, driving while license suspended, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to give aid after the one-vehicle crash about 1:19 p.m. on the 3S700 block of Deerpath Road, according to a Kane County sheriff's report and court records.
Hernandez was arrested after authorities said he crashed his 2007 Chevy Tahoe into about 20 feet of fence on the east side of Deerpath and then a tree while driving north, according to a sheriff's report.
His front seat passenger complained of chest pains. Emergency personnel took her to Mercy Hospital, where doctors determined she suffered a broken left wrist, according to the report.
While authorities were helping the woman, they noticed Hernandez had left the scene.
Deputies followed footprints in the snow to a nearby detention pond, where a shivering Hernandez was trying to hide in thigh-deep water, according to the report.
Hernandez told police he swerved to avoid an oncoming car and hit the fence. Authorities smelled alcohol on him and a blood draw showed his BAC to be .143, which is above the, 08 legal threshold for drivers in Illinois.
Hernandez said told authorities he drank up to five beers the previous night but did not drink that day, according to the report.
Deputies learned Hernandez had DUI arrests in 2010 and 2015, and his license was suspended, according to the report.
He is held at the Kane County jail on $50,000 bail, meaning he must post $5,000 in order to be released while the case is pending.
He appeared briefly in court Thursday, and he is next due in court Feb. 22. Hernandez faces up to seven years in prison if he is convicted of the most severe charge of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm.