Crime & Safety

Driver Denies Crashing Car Despite Cop Witnessing the Crash

Orland Park DUI report, Oct. 7.

A call from a concerned driver lead to drunken driving charges for a Lemont man who crashed into a concrete barrier.

Glenn E. Vanhowe, 61, of the 400 block of Illinois Street, Lemont, was charged with driving under the influence, DUI with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08, failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash and improper lane use, according to an Orland Park police report.

Police received a call at about 2:15 a.m. on Oct. 7 from person who was following a car that was swerving in and out of his lane and had struck the curb several times, the report states.

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A cop caught up with the car in the 14200 block of LaGrange Road, the report states. The car continued and drifted over a dirt patch off the road before crashing into a concrete barricade.

Police said the driver, Vanhowe, was unaware he had crashed into the barricade, claiming he "took the wrong turn or something," the report states. An officer could smell alcohol on the driver's breath, the report states. Vanhowe said he got off of work a few hours before the crash. He was asked to perform tests for sobriety, during which he almost fell over and was unable to stand on one leg.

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Cops arrested Vanhowe and impounded his car, the report states. While in custody, he took a breath test.

Vanhowe is due on Oct. 31 in Bridgeview court.

Police report information is provided by the Orland Park Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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