Officials, from the Chicago suburb of Glendale Heights, have announced an ongoing investigation into a hit-and-run incident that allegedly involved a driver operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of a crash on Labor Day.

Village Administrator Raquel Becerra, 47, has been charged with two counts of DUI, one count of disobeying a stop sign, one count of failure to reduce speed, and one count of leaving the scene of a property damage accident following her alleged responsibility for the accident. Becerra has worked as the Glendale Heights village administrator for at least eight years and previously worked as the village’s human resources director.

Police officials have clarified that no one was hurt in the crash. Becerra allegedly left the scene without stopping, however, which led to police officials issuing a warrant for her arrest. Becerra turned herself in on October 2nd after paying a $100 bond. Court records indicate that she arrived at Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in the wake of the crash, where her blood alcohol content (BAC) test revealed she had a .25 BAC, over three times the legal limit of .08

Police records also indicate that officers visually found her to be impaired at the scene of the traffic crash.

The police report alleged Becerra was involved in a traffic accident moments after she failed to stop at a stop sign. She later left the scene of the crime so police had to find her and, when they did, she was found to intoxicated.

The Daily Herald reports that her speech was slurred during the arrest and that she had red, glassy, bloodshot eyes. After a blood test, it was revealed she had been above the legal limit for alcohol consumption.

Becerra's position not revoked

According to the Daily Herald, Village trustees have decided not to revoke Becerra’s position until her ongoing court case comes to a conclusion.

Village President Linda Jackson told the Herald. that they will wait until the case goes to court and thorough investigation is concluded before they decide what to do. "I don't want to speculate on what we would do," Jackson told the Daily Herald.

Becerra’s next court date is scheduled for October 31 in DuPage County court.

According to the Center for Disease Control, impaired driving leads to one death across the United States every 50 minutes. Every day, according to the Center’s data, 29 people across the United States are killed in motor vehicle crashes that involved an alcohol-impaired driver.

National problem

Alcohol-impaired driving has become a major focus of law enforcement because it is linked to so many preventable deaths. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 47 percent of all Illinois vehicle fatalities involve alcohol.

According to data compiled by Record Information Services, Inc., Glendale Heights DUI filings have been slightly declining in recent years. While the record count was 167 for DUI filings in 2012, for instance, it dipped to 141 in 2015 and 108 in 2018.
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