Illinois: Lake County deputy injured when squad hit by DUI suspect
A 20-year-old Wauconda man was behind bars in the Lake County jail Sunday after authorities say he was driving under the influence of drugs when his car slammed into the rear of a parked Lake County Sheriff's patrol car, injuring a deputy and himself.
Gaitano W. Lombardo, 20, of the 500 block of Old County Way, faces charges of driving under the influence of drugs, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, and driving without insurance, stemming from the early morning crash.
Sheriff's police say the crash occurred about 3 a.m. Sunday, when the deputy was responding to a report of a car in a ditch along southbound Route 12 near Russell Drive in Volo. The deputy stopped the patrol car with its emergency lights on and blocked the inside lane of traffic, so a tow truck operator could remove the car from the ditch, police said.
Authorities say a 2000 Toyota Solara, driven by southbound on Route 12 by Lombardo struck the squad car with the deputy inside, pushing the vehicle about 30 feet down the roadway.
Both the sheriff's deputy and Lombardo were taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington for treatment of nonlife-threatening injuries, officials said.
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