Police: No injuries reported when drunken driver hits Palatine squad

There were no injuries reported after a man crashed into a Palatine police squad engaged in an unrelated traffic stop on Thursday night, officials said.

James C. Argianas, 36, of Palatine, is charged with two counts of driving under the influence, both misdemeanors, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, both petty offenses.

The incident took place around 11 p.m. Aug. 21 on Lake-Cook Road near its intersection with Rand Road, according to a press release from the Palatine Police Department. Officers were performing a traffic stop and had their emergency lights engaged when a vehicle crashed into the back of the police car.

Officers made contact with the driver of the vehicle, identified as Argianas, according to reports. Officers suspected that Argianas was impaired, and he admitted to consuming alcohol before the crash. Argianas was arrested and a blood test revealed a blood-alcohol level nearly three times the legal threshold for driving, reports state.

Argianas was released and is due back in court on Sept. 19.