Western Springs Police Blotter

Asleep at the Wheel, Failure to Yield, Improper Passing: Crash Report

Western Springs police reports, May 14-19.

Sunday, May 19 Michelle K. Frana-Karp, 48, of the 8700 block of Falcon Street in Hodgkins, was cited with failure to yield around 1:43 p.m. near the intersection of 53rd Street and Wolf Road, police said. Frana-Karp struck the left, front bumper of a car that was driving south on Wolf Road while she turned left onto 53rd Street, police said. Saturday, May 18 A 17-year-old Western Springs boy was cited for improper overtaking around 10:56 a.m. in the 5200 block of Harvey Avenue, police said. The teen tried to pass a car on the left while the other car was trying to make a left turn, police said. The other car struck the passenger side of the teen’s car. Thursday, May 16 A driver accelerated after the light turned green at the intersection …

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LT Students Drive 'Drunk' in Sheriff Simulation

Students maneuvered golf carts through a course while wearing goggles that mimic the effects of drunkenness.

Texting and driving isn’t as easy as it looks, Lyons Township students learned Tuesday during a workshop set up by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Driver’s Ed students drove golf carts while texting, and then while wearing goggles that simulate drunkenness. It was a wake-up call for the teens. “You think, ‘Oh, I’ll be able to do it,’” said Carmel Parker, 15. “But then you hit every cone.” Driver’s Ed teacher Jeff Johnson said the sheriff’s office performs the workshop at LT once a semester, free of charge. He covers the dangers of texting or drinking while driving in class, but he said it makes a difference to hear it from uniformed officers. And to experience it. “I was much cockier before,” 16-year-old Danny Salerno said. Before the …

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Western Springs Police Blotter

3 Underage Drinkers, Stolen Bike, Warrant Arrest: Police Blotter

Western Springs police reports, May 12-19.

Sunday, May 19 A 17-year-old Western Springs boy was cited with consumption of alcohol by a minor after an officer checked on his well being around 12:15 a.m. in the 900 block of 54th Street, Western Springs police said. The teen was walking with a group in the street. Officers later arrested Viviana A. Cockriel, 19, of the 4000 block of DuBois in Brookfield, around 1:55 a.m. in the 3800 block of Woodland Avenue, police said. Police responded to a call about a verbal fight between two people in the street and found that Cockriel had been drinking, according to the report. She was cited with consumption of alcohol by a minor. Saturday, May 18 Joseph B. Galin, 18, of the 300 block of South 8th Avenue in La Grange, was arrested around 11:58 p…

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'Serious Fire' Along Tri-State Backs Up Traffic: Mapquest

Mapquest said one northbound lane was closed Monday afternoon.

Updated at 4:15 p.m. It appears traffic is now flowing at a normal rate through the I-294/I-55 interchange, according to Mapquest, who earlier reported a "serious fire" along northbound I-294.  4:02 p.m. Mapquest continues to report heavy traffic in the area of I-294's intersection with I-55, but there is no longer an alert regarding the fire.  Original story: A fire along I-294 near its crossing with I-55 is causing traffic delays Monday afternoon, according to Mapquest. The fire has forced the closure of one lane on northbound I-294, reports Mapquest, which advises commuters to "expect some delays." Northern Illinois Fireground Photos posted this photo of the apparent grass fire on its Facebook page.  Mapquest says the incident began at …

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OMG PD: DUI Nearly 4X Legal Limit, Ding Dong Dirty Words

A roundup of some of the more bizarre items in area police blotters this week.

LA GRANGE A woman caused a disturbance at Walgreens, 2 N. La Grange Road, around 1:58 p.m. after her insurance declined to cover a prescription she was picking up for her mother, police said. The woman called police because Walgreens wouldn’t give her the medication unless she paid for it out of pocket. The officer told her this was a matter between her, Walgreens and the insurance company. She became disruptive, called the officer a few names and stormed off, the report said. Three girls who looked like they were in eighth grade took bricks from the yard of a vacant property in the 900 block of South 8th Avenue, police said. Police entered a special watch for the property and the caller was told to call police immediately if he sees …

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Car Runs into La Grange National Bank: Crash Report

Western Springs police reports, May 7-12.

Sunday, May 12 A driver ran into La Grange National Bank, 1013 Burlington Ave., after she accidentally pressed the gas instead of the break when pulling into a parking spot around 5:13 p.m., police said. She also struck a light pole and high curb. No one was injured. Thursday, May 9 Margaret Mary Vocius, 25, of the 3900 block of Wolf Road, was cited for driving without insurance and failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident around 3:56 p.m. in the 4400 block of Gilbert Avenue, police said. Vocius rear-ended a car that slowed then stopped in traffic, police said. Tuesday, May 7 A car backed out of a driveway around 8:06 a.m., hitting a car that was driving south in the 4500 block of Grand Avenue, police said. Shafaq Mustafa, 42, of the …

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Body Found in Des Plaines River Believed to be Missing 1-Year-Old

The 1-year-old boy's mother and her boyfriend have been charged with the murder of Bryeon Hunter, who was first reported missing in April. The body was found near the Brookfield Zoo.

Police found the body of a young boy in the Des Plaines River near Brookfield Zoo on Tuesday afternoon, and it's believed to be 1-year-old Bryeon Hunter, whose parents have been charged with his murder.  According to a Cook County Sheriff's Department news release, the body was spotted by a kayaker in the river near First Avenue and 31st Street.  An autopsy will be performed Wednesday to identify the boy and determine the cause of death.  The Chicago Tribune reported that the child's size and description fits that of Bryeon Hunter, who disappeared April 16. Since that time, police have searched the Des Plaines River.  Hunter's mother Lakeshia Baker, 22, and her boyfriend Michael Scott, 21 have been charged with the boy's murder. Baker …

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