Suburban police officer charged with DUI after fatal crash

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago police officer has been charged with driving under the influence after she was involved in a traffic crash in which another police officer riding with her was killed.

Joliet Police Officer Erin Zilka, 35, was driving on Interstate 55 early Sunday in Will County when her vehicle slammed into the back of a truck that had been involved in a traffic collision a short time earlier.

Riding with Zilka was 33-year-old Berwyn Police Officer Charles Schauer. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Illinois State Police, which is investigating the crash, said that Zilka was charged with drunken driving. In a statement, the Joliet Police Department said it had launched an internal investigation. A call on Monday to Zilka for comment was not immediately returned.