Reaching for a Smoke Causes Accused DUI Driver to Hit Truck

An Orland Park man accused of drunken driving told police he looked away from the road to get a smoke before running into a truck.

Brendan A. Greene, 24, of the 11700 block of Springbrook Court, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, DUI with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08, failing to slow down to avoid a crash and improper lane use, according to an Orland Park police report.

Police were called at about 1:11 a.m. on Sept. 8 to the 14900 block of Highland Avenue for a traffic crash investigation, the report states. The driver of a blue car, Greene, was the only person at the crash. He told an officer that he was reaching down to the passenger side of his car to retrieve a cigarette when he veered left and hit an unoccupied red Chevy Silverado parked on the street.

Greene admitted to cops that he drank six beers and two shots before driving, the report states. He face appeared red and he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.

An officer had Greene perform tests for sobriety, the report states. During tests, he had to steady himself and nearly fell over. Police placed him under arrest after he failed the tests.

Green is due on Oct. 3 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.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are plenty of ways to keep up on local news:

• Join Patch. Sign up for a user account and converse with your neighbors.
• Like Orland Park Patch on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.