Chain-Reaction Crash Kills Wheaton Man

Illinois State Police said a four-vehicle chain-reaction crash on westbound Interstate 290 near Ashland Avenue early Sunday killed 25-year-old Benjamin M. Farraday of Wheaton and injured several other people. Troopers said the crash happened at about 2:59 a.m. on May 17, when a GMC SUV driven by Jose F. Perez Marin, 21, of Chicago, struck the rear of a Toyota SUV. Police said the impact pushed the Toyota into two additional vehicles. Farraday, who was a passenger in the Toyota, was taken to a hospital and later died from his injuries. ### Where did the crash happen, and what do police say set it off? Illinois State Police said troopers were called to westbound I-290 just west of Ashland Avenue on Chicago’s Near West Side. The agency said traffic was backed up on the outbound Eisenhower Expressway when the GMC hit the Toyota from behind, triggering the four-vehicle collision. CBS Chicago reported eight people were taken to hospitals after the crash, and one of them later died. (isp.illinois.gov) Illinois State Police, in a later charging announcement, said Perez Marin and five other people were injured. The differing injury totals reflect what authorities and news outlets reported at different stages of the investigation. ### Who was killed in the crash? (isp.illinois.gov) Benjamin M. Farraday was identified by Illinois State Police as the person who died after being transported from the crash scene to an area hospital. Police described him as a 25-year-old Wheaton resident and said he was riding in the Toyota SUV that was struck. An obituary posted by Williams-Kampp Funeral Home in Wheaton said Farraday was the son of Michael and the late Kathleen Farraday and the brother of Sarrah. (cbsnews.com) The funeral home listed a memorial visitation for him on Sunday, May 24, from noon to 4 p.m. in Wheaton. ### What charges does the Chicago driver face? Illinois State Police said Perez Marin was arrested after he was released from the hospital. (isp.illinois.gov) The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved three felony charges on May 19: aggravated driving under the influence involving death, aggravated DUI with no driver’s license, and aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm. ABC7 Chicago and the Illinois State Police release said Perez Marin remained in custody at the Cook County Jail pending his first court appearance. (williams-kampp.com) Court records were not included in the police release, and the agency said the charges are not evidence of guilt and that Perez Marin is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court. ### Was there another incident on the expressway that morning? (isp.illinois.gov) ABC7 Chicago reported state police had first responded late Saturday night to a shooting involving a motorcyclist on westbound I-290 at California Avenue, about a mile from the later crash scene. The station said lane closures were in place for that investigation when troopers were called to the fatal collision around 3 a.m. Sunday. (isp.illinois.gov) CBS Chicago reported police did not say whether the earlier shutdown caused the traffic backup involved in the crash. Illinois State Police’s charging release on the fatal collision did not mention the shooting. ### What happens next in the case? May 19 is the date on which Cook County prosecutors approved the felony charges, according to Illinois State Police. (abc7chicago.com) The next public step is Perez Marin’s first court appearance, which police said had not yet occurred as of the release announcing the arrest. May 24 is the date listed for Farraday’s memorial visitation at Williams-Kampp Funeral Home, according to the obituary page posted by the funeral home. (cbsnews.com) That service is scheduled for 430 E. Roosevelt Road in Wheaton from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. (williams-kampp.com) (isp.illinois.gov)