The Chicago Sun-Times
A motorist who allegedly attacked a firefighter attempting to extricate his mother and two other women — one pregnant — from a car has been charged with drunken driving after a Wednesday night crash in the South Side’s Englewood neighborhood.
Early Thursday, the man’s mother was in “extremely critical” condition and two other women — one pregnant — were in critical condition.
The motorist, identified by police as 22-year-old Douglas Taylor, was driving a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria north on South Racine Avenue when it crashed into a parked car at the 7400 block of South Racine Ave. about 9:05 p.m., police said. Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said the Ford was attempting to pass another vehicle on the right when it collided with the parked car.
Taylor, of the 1200 block of West 71st Street, was charged with driving under the influence, failure to display a driver’s license, operating a vehicle with no insurance, no valid vehicle registration and negligent driving, police said.
He is scheduled to appear in Traffic Court on June 27, police said.
Taylor escaped without injury, but his mother and two other women — one pregnant — became trapped inside, Langford said.
While emergency personnel were removing the women from the car, Taylor allegedly became hostile and claimed firefighters weren’t working fast enough to get his mother out of the car. He then allegedly attempted to punch a firefighter, Langford said.
“He became agitated that we weren’t working fast enough because one of the victims was his mother,” Langford said. “We were working as rapidly as possible to get the victims out, but we have to worry about safety.”
Langford said a battalion chief restrained Taylor and called for police assistance. When police arrived to help get him under control, Taylor was put in a squad car until he calmed down.
While in the squad car, emergency personnel extricated Taylor’s mother and took her to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in “extremely critical” condition, said Langford. Police said the woman was 59 years old.
Two other women — one pregnant — were taken in critical condition to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Langford said. Police said the women were 20 and 55 years old, respectively.
When Taylor calmed down, he apologized to the firefighter and the battalion chief and the department decided not to press charges for the attempted punch.
“We didn’t press charges and told him to get to the hospital to deal with his mother,” Langford said. “The man was just emotional and wanted to see us get his mother out as fast as possible.”
No emergency workers were injured.
Copyright 2008, The Chicago Sun-Times