Driver Changes Tune about Drinking After Crash

A Tinley Park man who changed his story about what he had to drink the night he got into a crash faces drunken driving charges, according to police.

Robert R. McManus, 29, of the 18200 block of South 66th Avenue, Tinley Park, was charged with driving under the influence, DUI with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08, failing to reduce speed to avoid crash, improper lane use and driving without insurance, according to a Tinley Park report.

Police investigated a traffic crash at about 8:54 p.m. on Nov. 7 in the 6600 block of 181st Street, the report states. Cops found a black Ford Fusion in the grass on the north side of 181st Street that had struck a ComEd utility box. Nearby, a red Chevrolet Tahoe was parked in the eastbound lane. Vehicle parts were spread across the ground from the Tahoe to the Fusion.

The Fusion suffered substantial damage to the front bumper and side fender, the report states. The driver of the Tahoe told police she was hit from behind while parked to drop her father off.

McManus, the Fusion driver, said he wasn't sure how he hit the SUV, the report states. He spoke with slurred speech and told police he had five beers over three hours. McManus had been on his way home from the bar.

While taking tests for sobriety, McManus again claimed he drank five beers, the report states. He then told police that he was allergic to beer and actually had been drinking "Rum and Cokes."

Police arrested McManus and gave him a breath test that resulted in a BAL of 0.206, the report states.

McManus is due on Jan. 2 in Bridgeview court.

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.