An early-morning crash on the outbound Eisenhower Expressway turned deadly Sunday, and now a 21-year-old Chicago man is facing multiple felony aggravated DUI charges.
Illinois State Police say a GMC SUV slammed into the back of a Toyota on I-290 near South Ashland Avenue in the early hours of Sunday, May 17, triggering a four-vehicle chain-reaction wreck. One passenger, identified as Benjamin Farraday of Wheaton, died after being taken to an area hospital, and six others were injured, according to authorities. The driver now accused in the case is being held at the Cook County Jail while he waits for a court appearance.
Arrest and charges
According to WGN, special agents with the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 arrested 21-year-old Jose Perez Marin on Monday. Prosecutors have been presented with charges that include one count of aggravated DUI involving death, one count of aggravated DUI while driving without a license, and one count of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm.
Investigators say Perez Marin was behind the wheel of the GMC SUV in the outbound lanes of I-290 when it rear-ended the Toyota, kicking off the multi-car pileup. He was among those taken to local hospitals after the crash, and state police identified the passenger who later died as Farraday of Wheaton, the outlet reported. Perez Marin remains in custody at the Cook County Department of Corrections, according to public records and reporting.
Crash scene and victims
CBS Chicago first reported the pileup, which state police say happened before 3 a.m. Sunday and involved four vehicles. In total, eight people were transported to area hospitals, and one of the injured later died at a hospital, officials said.
Troopers shut down the right lane and several ramps while crash reconstruction teams documented the scene, and crews worked to clear the wreckage. The closures stretched into the morning as investigators processed evidence.
Background and earlier coverage
Overnight, Ike pileup coverage on May 17 noted that troopers had already responded earlier to a separate shooting on the Eisenhower near California Avenue. ABC7 Chicago reported that investigators were treating the shooting and the Ashland crash as separate incidents while they gathered facts.
Authorities have not yet released full toxicology findings or a complete crash reconstruction, and the investigation is still active.
Legal exposure
Under Illinois law, a routine DUI can quickly turn into an aggravated felony when certain harms or circumstances are involved, including deaths and serious injuries. Aggravated DUI that results in death carries far steeper penalties than a standard DUI.
The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-501) spells out the aggravated DUI categories, along with the felony classes and sentencing ranges tied to death and great bodily harm. Those provisions will frame what prosecutors and defense attorneys are looking at as the case moves forward.
What happens next
Perez Marin is being held at the Cook County Department of Corrections (Cook County Sheriff's Office) pending a first court appearance and review by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
In cases like this, defense attorneys typically move quickly to seek bond, push for early access to police reports and lab results, and begin challenging key pieces of evidence. After that, arraignment and pretrial motions will help determine how fast the case heads toward trial or a potential plea.
Hoodline will update this story as new court filings or official statements are released.
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