An Aurora man received a nine-year prison sentence after he lost control of his car while speeding away from a South Side street takeover, causing a fiery crash that killed three of his passengers.
The crash followed a “sideshow” that drew more than 100 cars to the intersection of 95th and Halsted around 10:49 p.m. on February 18, 2023, where drivers performed stunts, officials said. Sideshows, in which drivers of modified vehicles spin donuts in front of large crowds at major intersections, remain an ongoing problem for the city.
Chicago cops moved in to disperse the crowd, and drivers sped away from the intersection. Minutes later, a 2008 Infiniti G35 clipped a utility pole and spun sideways at Halsted and 100th Street, according to a Chicago police report reviewed by CWB Chicago. The car’s passenger side then slammed into a light pole and brick wall before bursting into flames.
The Chicago Critter account first posted video recorded from a passing vehicle, which shows two people running from the wreckage (strong language):
An officer in the police report said they heard “the sound of a large bang” and found the G35 engulfed in flames. The officer saw two occupants running from the vehicle, while officers arrested the driver, identified in the report as Vicente Rodriguez of Aurora, about a block away.
Rodriguez, now 22, “self-admitted to being the driver” of the burning car, according to the report. Responders took him to Christ Hospital in serious condition with injuries suffered in the crash. The report said officers did not immediately find the second man who ran from the crash, believed to be the front passenger.
At the crash scene, first responders found three men trapped in the burning car’s rear seat, the report said. Officials pronounced the victims — Salvador Garcia, 19, and 18-year-olds Jose Manuel Velazquez and Joniel Gutierrez, all of Aurora — dead at the scene.
Despite Rodriguez’s admissions on the night of the crash, prosecutors did not criminally charge him for almost two years. During an initial court hearing, prosecutors said Rodriguez had previous serious traffic cases in other counties, including leaving the scene of an accident and DUI.
Rodriguez has now pleaded guilty to three counts of reckless homicide by motor vehicle, court records show. Judge John Lyke sentenced him to nine years in prison, of which Rodriguez must serve 50%.
Leave a Reply