Alleged Drunk Driver Hits Tree, Blames Woman Who Isn't There

A Tinley Park man was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after his car hit a tree near 160th and Ashford Court in the early morning hours of Jan. 27.

Jose Torres, 39, of the 15900 block of Ashford Court, told police two different stories of who was driving—first admitting that he was the driver, then saying a female acquaintance was behind the wheel. 

Police were dispatched to the scene after a resident called a report of a car hitting a tree. Officers found Torres and two others standing around a car that had struck a tree. Torres, who had dried blood on his mouth and nose, stepped forward and admitted to being behind the wheel. 

Torres refused medical treatment and then agreed to field sobriety tests, which officers said he failed, according to the report.

While the car was being towed, Torres told officers that he was not driving the car at the time of the accident. He told officers that a female acquaintance was driving the car, and that he said he was driving to protect her.

Torres told officers that the woman was driving the car while being followed by her friend in another car. Torres said that she lost control and struck the tree, before getting into her friend's car and fleeing the scene.

Officers checked the car and noted there was no passenger side airbag deployment. They also noted blood on the driver's side airbag, and concluded there was no other person in the car.

Torres was also charged with driving with a blood concentration greater than .08 and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident

Torres was taken into custody and transported to the Tinley Park police station, where he was processed and released on bond, pending a March 22 court date.

Fan of Crime Stories? You'll want to like our Crime-n-Shame Facebook page.

Police report information is provided by the Tinley Park Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions 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.