Chicago Man Detained in Fatal I-290 Crash

Illinois State Police said a 21-year-old Chicago man was arrested after a fatal four-vehicle crash on Interstate 290 that killed a 25-year-old Wheaton man and injured six other people. The crash happened at about 2:59 a.m. on May 17 on westbound I-290 west of Ashland Avenue, according to a state police release issued May 19. State police said Jose F. Perez Marin was driving a GMC SUV when he rear-ended a Toyota SUV, setting off a chain-reaction collision involving two more vehicles. Benjamin M. Farraday, a passenger in the Toyota, was taken to a hospital and later died from his injuries, police said. ### Who was charged, and what counts does he face? Illinois State Police named the driver as Jose F. Perez Marin of Chicago and said he was charged with aggravated driving under the influence involving death, aggravated DUI with no driver’s license, and aggravated DUI involving great bodily harm. The agency said the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the charges on May 19. (isp.illinois.gov) FOX 32 Chicago and ABC7 Chicago, citing Illinois State Police, reported that Perez Marin remained in custody at the Cook County Jail pending his first court appearance. State police said he was arrested after being released from a hospital. ### What do authorities say happened on the Eisenhower Expressway? (isp.illinois.gov) State police said troopers were called to the crash scene on westbound I-290 west of Ashland Avenue at about 2:59 a.m. on May 17. According to the agency, Perez Marin’s GMC SUV struck the rear of a Toyota SUV, and that impact led to a chain-reaction crash involving two additional vehicles. ABC7 Chicago reported that the fatal crash unfolded while police were also handling a separate shooting investigation about a mile away on westbound I-290 near California Avenue. (abc7chicago.com) The station, citing state police, said a motorcyclist had been shot earlier and crashed, prompting lane closures before troopers responded to the later collision near Ashland Avenue. (isp.illinois.gov) ### Who was killed and how many others were hurt? Illinois State Police identified the dead passenger as Benjamin M. Farraday, 25, of Wheaton. The agency said Farraday was riding in the Toyota SUV and was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. State police said Perez Marin and five other people were also injured in the crash. FOX 32 Chicago described the collision as a four-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the Eisenhower Expressway. (abc7chicago.com) ### Where does the 65 mph figure come from? Patch was cited by news aggregators on May 22 as reporting that prosecutors said the GMC Yukon’s electronic data recorder showed the vehicle was traveling 65 mph 2.5 seconds before impact. (isp.illinois.gov) Search results reflecting that report also said prosecutors told a judge the driver was under the influence and that an Uber passenger was killed. Those details could not be independently confirmed from a court filing or transcript located through official Cook County court resources available in search results. Illinois State Police’s release did not include the speed allegation, any reference to an Uber ride, or a description of the evidentiary basis for the DUI allegation beyond the filed charges. The agency’s statement remains the primary public account released by authorities as of May 22. ### What comes next in the case? May 19 is the date the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the felony charges, according to Illinois State Police. (msn.com) The next public milestone is Perez Marin’s first court appearance, which state police and local outlets said had not yet occurred when they published their reports. Cook County court records are available through the clerk’s online case lookup system. (isp.illinois.gov) As of May 22, publicly surfaced reports said Perez Marin was still being held in the Cook County Jail awaiting that hearing. (cookcountyclerkofcourt.org)