Police: Drunken Man Pinned in Driver's Seat After Crash Says he Wasn't Behind the Wheel

When police responded to a one-vehicle crash on Friday, they found four wounded passengers and a drunken driver, they said.

got to Lakewood and Lakebluff drives around 1:40 a.m. and found a 2004 Buick Century resting against a "solid railroad tie landscaping wall" with its airbags deployed, according to the report. Two people were walking around the vehicle—one was limping and bleeding from the head and the other was standing and bleeding from his face.

The driver, Leo J. Morrison, 21, of the 9200 block of Sawyer Avenue in Evergreen Park, was bleeding and pinned between the front driver's seat and the dashboard, police said. A backseat passenger also remained in the car, police said, and were called to the scene to extricate. A fifth man was in the car at the time of the crash but it wasn't clear in the accident report where that man was when police arrived. Two of the victims were 20 years old, one was 23 and the other was 21.

All men were questioned and told police they were drinking for a few hours before the crash occurred, reports said. No one remembered details of the accident, according to the report, and officers said all victims were disoriented. Two of them were taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital and one was taken to Franciscan St. James Health in Olympia Fields. 

When police spoke to Morrison in the back of an ambulance, he told them he was not driving the vehicle before the crash, they said.

"I asked Leo what he was doing prior to the crash and Leo's speech became confused," the report said. "Leo provided me with several different addresses and stated he was coming from his house. I advised Leo that he had been pinned in the driver's seat and he had to be extricated … (he) would not provide any information and stopped talking."

Police said they could smell booze on Morrison's breath and that his speech was slurred. He reportedly became belligerent with hospital staff and the officer reminded him that he was injured. He eventually agreed to be treated and got stitches on his face and a wrap for a sprained ankle, police said. 

A backseat passenger had a broken femur that required surgery, as well as a skull fracture. 

"After Leo received initial treatment, (he) calmed down and advised that he does not remember driving his vehicle prior to the crash," the report said. "Leo advised that on Jan. 26, he and his (four) friends … went to J.W. Hollsteins bar."

He said the group had "a couple of beers" before heading to the bar and was drinking "dollar beers" while at Hollstein's, the report said. He also said he and his friends took a few Jager bomb shots. 

The last thing he said he remembered was drinking at the bar. Morrison willingly submitted blood and urine samples to . In a written statment, he admitted to drinking alcohol but said he does not remember leaving the bar or the crash. 

He was charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving too fast for conditions and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

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