Chicago Man Detained in Fatal I-290 Crash

Illinois State Police said a 21-year-old Chicago man was arrested after a four-vehicle crash on westbound Interstate 290 near Ashland Avenue killed a 25-year-old Wheaton man and injured several others. The crash happened at about 2:59 a.m. on May 17, according to a state police release issued May 19. 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 additional vehicles. Benjamin M. Farraday, a passenger in the Toyota, was taken to a hospital and later died, police said. ### Who did police arrest, and what charges were approved? Illinois State Police said Jose F. Perez Marin, 21, of Chicago was arrested by special agents after he was released from the hospital. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved one count of aggravated DUI involving death, one count of aggravated DUI with no driver’s license and one count of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm on May 19, the agency said. (isp.illinois.gov) Cook County jail custody was confirmed in the state police release, which said Perez Marin remained detained pending his first court appearance. State police also said the charges are not evidence and that he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. ### How did investigators say the crash unfolded on the Eisenhower Expressway? The crash occurred on westbound I-290 just west of Ashland Avenue, according to Illinois State Police. (isp.illinois.gov) Police said Perez Marin’s GMC SUV struck the rear of a Toyota SUV, and that impact pushed the crash into two other vehicles. ABC7 Chicago reported the collision happened while police activity tied to a nearby shooting had already affected traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway. (isp.illinois.gov) That report, citing Illinois State Police, said troopers were handling the crash scene about a mile west of the earlier shooting investigation. ### Who was killed, and were the victims in a rideshare vehicle? Illinois State Police identified the person who died as Benjamin M. Farraday, 25, of Wheaton. The agency described him as a passenger in the Toyota SUV that was struck from behind. Subsequent local reporting described the Toyota as an Uber vehicle carrying passengers back to the suburbs. Because Illinois State Police did not identify the vehicle that way in its release, that detail comes from later accounts of the court hearing rather than the arrest announcement itself. (abc7chicago.com) ### What did prosecutors say about speed and impairment? (isp.illinois.gov) A later account of the bond hearing, cited by Patch and repeated in secondary reports, said prosecutors told the court the GMC Yukon’s electronic data recorder showed the vehicle traveling 65 mph 2.5 seconds before impact. The same account said braking occurred only shortly before the collision. (phillipslawoffices.com) Illinois State Police said the approved charges included aggravated DUI counts, but the agency’s release did not detail test results. Secondary reports on the hearing said prosecutors alleged responding officers saw signs of impairment and that hospital testing showed a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. Those allegations are part of the prosecution’s account of the case. (msn.com) ### How many people were hurt besides Farraday? Illinois State Police said Perez Marin and five other people were injured in the crash, in addition to Farraday. Some local reports initially described a higher overall injury count in the immediate aftermath, but the arrest release listed Perez Marin plus five others as injured. Fox 32 and other local outlets reported the collision involved four vehicles and shut down part of I-290 as investigators worked the scene. (isp.illinois.gov) The crash drew broad local coverage because it came during a morning of separate police activity on the expressway. ### What happens next in court? A June 10 court date was cited in later local reporting that summarized the detention hearing and said Perez Marin had been ordered held in Cook County Jail. (isp.illinois.gov) The Cook County clerk’s online case system says recent docket information can take time to appear and is not the official court record. (fox32chicago.com) Cook County proceedings will determine the next formal steps in the felony DUI case. Illinois State Police said the charges were approved on May 19, and the case now moves through the county court system. (isp.illinois.gov) (phillipslawoffices.com)