Woman's Fiancé Dies In Elmhurst Crash: Police

Elmhurst IL

24 August, 2021

3:44 PM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — A Cicero woman crashed in a construction zone Saturday in an Elmhurst neighborhood, killing her fiancé, authorities said Tuesday. The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office released more details about the crash, which Patch reported on Monday. The victim was 33-year-old Andrew Lewis, who was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Charged with aggravated DUI was 33-year-old Alibet Mendoza. Her bond was set at $500,000 on Tuesday. According to police, Mendoza had a blood-alcohol content of .17 and illegal drugs in her system such as benzodiazepines, cocaine, marijuana and opiates. Alibet Mendoza, 33, of Cicero, struck a gravel pile early Saturday morning on Van Auken Street in Elmhurst, just north of North End Avenue, police said. She was charged with aggravated DUI, among other charges. (David Giuliani/Patch) The crash happened about 2 a.m. near Van Auken Street and North End Avenue. Driving a Chevrolet Traverse, Mendoza ran into gravel, struck a dumpster and then hit a tree, where her car was found, police said. "Like all alleged DUI cases, the case against Ms. Mendoza was 100 percent avoidable," State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. "As I have said many times before, if you have been drinking or for any other reason are not able to safely operate a motor vehicle, do not drive. It is a very simple idea, and that is what makes cases such as this so frustrating. The tragic death of Andrew Lewis and so many other DUI victims did not have to happen." He added, "With a variety of ride-sharing services available, people have to think of the potential consequences of getting behind the wheel and not think they are alright to drive." Besides aggravated DUI, Mendoza was charged with possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana by a driver, operating an uninsured vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. As of Tuesday afternoon, Mendoza was still in the DuPage County Jail. She must come up with $50,000 of her $500,000 bond to be released.