DUI Driver Strikes Median Strip at 143rd and LaGrange: Blotter

An Orland Park woman is facing a DUI charge after a witness saw her crash her car into a median strip and weaving in between lanes, according to an Orland Park police report.

On Nov. 16, Donna J. Barkowski, 47, of the 13600 block of 84th Avenue in Orland Park, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving an uninsured vehicle, improper lane use and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The Orland Park Police Department was called about a car that struck the median strip near 143rd Street and LaGrange Road around 6:10 p.m. The driver, Barkowski, said she was not injured and was just trying to get home, police said.

The witness who called in the crash said he was driving east on 143rd Street when he saw a Honda, driven by Barkowski, driving slowly and weaving between lane lines, police said. The Honda then veered into the oncoming traffic lane, and veered sharply back to the correct lane when it struck the median, according to the report. The car came to rest still on top of the median, police said.

Barkowski failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody. While she was taken in, she asked repeatedly for police to let her go home, according to the report.

Police blotter information is provided by the Orland Park Police Department. 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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