A 74-year-old Berwyn man is dead after police say an Atlanta driver high on cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol slammed a rental truck into three cars stopped at a red light in Cicero. Ramon Espada later died at a hospital, and the driver, 43-year-old Travius Duggan, now faces reckless homicide and aggravated DUI charges in connection with the crash.
The collision happened Monday at the intersection of 16th Street and Cicero Avenue, according to ABC7 Chicago. Police told the station that Duggan was impaired by a combination of cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol when he drove the rental truck into the stopped vehicles. Espada, a Berwyn resident, died at the hospital as a result of his injuries, officials said.
Driver's Record Raises Questions in Georgia
Prosecutors told the outlet that Duggan has an extensive history of DUI and alcohol-related offenses in Georgia, though the report does not detail the specific prior cases. Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Monday's crash, the station's report notes, and no additional details about the other vehicles or their occupants have been released.
Illinois has seen similar tragedies play out in court before. In a case out of downstate Swansea, 27-year-old Karlie Langley of Smithton was killed in a three-car crash on May 2, 2024, according to the Belleville News-Democrat. Witnesses told police that the driver in that case, Jacob T. Hall, 25, of Belleville, was speeding and driving recklessly before causing the collision.
How a Comparable Case Resolved
Hall was originally charged with aggravated DUI and reckless homicide, the same combination of charges Duggan now faces. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, prosecutors in that case reported Hall had a blood-alcohol content of 0.165% at a detention hearing, more than twice Illinois' legal limit of 0.08%, as cited in that report. Hall ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death, and prosecutors dropped the reckless homicide charge as part of the agreement; he was ordered to serve 85% of an eight-year prison sentence, minus the two years and four months he had already spent in jail.
That same report describes aggravated DUI resulting in death as a Class 2 felony punishable by three to 14 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. It remains unclear how Duggan's case will proceed, and police in Cicero said their investigation into Monday's fatal crash is ongoing.
Impaired driving remains a persistent problem across Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation cites a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimate that 47% of Illinois motor vehicle fatalities involve alcohol. The Illinois State Police similarly warn that hundreds of people die each year in the state as a result of drinking or drugged driving, with hundreds more seriously injured or permanently disabled and millions of dollars in property damage, according to the Illinois State Police.
