Teen Charged With DUI in Crash That Killed Construction Worker

Police said the crash occurred around 4:18 a.m. in the 4900 block of South Western Avenue

A 19-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly drove drunk and crashed in a construction site in Chicago Saturday, killing a worker and injuring two other people in the vehicle he was driving.

Erick Lopez, of the 3700 block of West 83rd Place, was charged with felony reckless homicide in a construction zone, aggravated DUI resulting in an accidental death, misdemeanor having no car insurance, failure to carry or display a driver’s license, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed.

Police said the crash occurred around 4:18 a.m. in the 4900 block of South Wester Avenue on the city's Southwest Side.

Prosecutors allege Lopez's blood alcohol content was measured at 0.191-- more than twice the legal limit, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Jose Tafoya, of the 1000 block of West 57th Avenue in Merrillville, Ind. was pronouned dead at the scene at 5:45 a.m. Saturday, the Cook Count Medical Examiner's office said.

Three people inside the car, including the driver, were injured.

Two were taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County and another was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital.

Family members said Tafoya, who is from Mexico, moved to Indiana in 2010. He has four children and two young grandchildren.

"He was a very hard working and responsible man," said his nephew Luis Paz. "He was always with his family. I don't know why this happened. He had a lot of dreams."

They plan to bury him in Guanajuato, Mexico, where his 91-year-old mother still lives.

Lopez was reportedly denied bail Sunday, but did not appear in court because he remains hospitalized.

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