Police: Palatine man faces DUI after driving on sidewalk, declaring self “designated driver”

A Palatine man who told police he was the “designated driver” after driving on a sidewalk in west suburban Riverside early Sunday is facing a driving under the influence charge, authorities said.

Robert Kaminski, 61, of the 100 block of West Hamilton Drive, also is charged with speeding, not wearing a seat belt, improper lane usage, failure to signal when required, improper use of a turn signal and driving on a sidewalk, according to a news release from Riverside police.

According to police, an officer attempted to pull over a vehicle driven by Kaminski at about 12:22 a.m. after seeing it swerving on Ogden Avenue and traveling 44 mph in a 25 mph zone. When the squad car lights turned on, the vehicle started driving on the sidewalk before finally coming to a stop next to a restaurant, police said.

Kaminski failed sobriety tests and told an officer he was driving home because he was “the most sober, as he was the designated driver,” officials said. He was then arrested, at which point he swore at the officer, called her names and tried kicking out the windows of the police car, authorities said.

A 45-year-old Palatine woman who was in the passenger seat was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn to be treated for alcohol poisoning and an injured ankle, police said.

When he arrived at the booking room in the Riverside Police Department, Kaminski refused to blow into a Breathalyzer and did not cooperate during the booking process, police said. He then told police, “This is going to be a memorable night for you,” and vomited into a trash can, according to the news release.