Woman was drunk in fatal Campton Hills crash, police say
A 22-year-old St. Charles woman who crashed into a utility pole and died on New Years's Eve in Campton Hills had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal threshold, authorities announced Wednesday.
Julie Berls was pronounced dead shortly after police responded at approximately 4 a.m. Dec. 31, 2011, to a single-vehicle crash in the 39W800 block of Campton Hills Road.
Berls' 2002 Saturn was the only vehicle involved in the crash.
Campton Hills Police Chief Dan Hoffman said toxicology tests showed that Berls' blood alcohol concentration was .21, more than 2½ times the legal threshold of .08 for drivers in Illinois. She also was not wearing a seat belt.
“Though Berls' blood alcohol content was not ruled the cause of death, I can, with a reasonable amount of surety, say that it was a major contributing factor in the cause of the accident,” Hoffman said.
“I have great empathy for the family of the deceased. Losing a loved one in this matter is a horrific experience. Hopefully, releasing this information will serve as a deterrent in the future for people to make better choices about drinking and driving,” Hoffman added.
Berls was a 2007 graduate of St. Charles East High School and had graduated from Eastern Illinois University in December 2010 with a degree in elementary education.