Dentist arrested after fifth DUI

CHICAGO, Illinois – A former dentist is on trial following his fifth DUI charge.

Drew Forquer was arrested after being involved in a fatal crash on Chicago’s Northwest Side in August 2008. He admitted to having consumed two beers while watching television on the morning of the accident. He claims he later went to a store for ice cream and while driving home, a motorcycle crashed into his car.

The motorcycle driver, 47-year-old rider, Jeff Bondy, was pinned underneath the vehicle.

“People are screaming at me, ‘Move the car!’” Forquer said in the videotaped police interview that was played on Thursday at his homicide trial.

Bondy, who was an airfield operations supervisor, was on his way to work at O’Hare International Airport on the day of the accident. He died from the injuries he sustained in the crash.

Prosecutors argue that Forquer, 51, was legally drunk when the incident occurred and tried to take a wide left-hand turn from Belmont Avenue but crossed into the opposite lane of traffic on Opal Avenue, and then crashed into Bondy’s Harley.

Forquer’s bench trial this week at the Criminal Courts Building has revolved around a breath test that was administered to him about four hours after the accident. His BAC level was determined to be at 0.045 percent, which is well below the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

However, an expert witness who testified on Wednesday for the prosecution said that he estimated Forquer’s BAC content to have been anywhere from  0.084 to 0.123 percent on the day of the accident.

On Thursday, the defense called its own expert to the stand, who testified that Forquer’s history of liver disease and chronic alcoholism would have slowed his metabolism and estimated that his BAC level was just under the legal limit at the time of the crash.

There are numerous factors that can skew the results, so it is almost impossible to determine with precision what Forque’s true BAC level was.
Chicago police detective Michael Dineen testified on Thursday that he smelled alcohol on Forquer when he approached him the scene and suspected he had been drinking after administering a field-sobriety test.

Forquer voluntarily took a breath test at the Grand-Central Area headquarters and was initially charged with three misdemeanors. Two months later, the charges had been upgraded to felonies.
Forquer has four DUI convictions from 1984 to 1991.

A DUI can affect a person’s life forever if they are convicted. It can prevent them from getting and keeping a job as well as hinder any financial endeavors. If you have incurred a DUI charge, it’s time to obtain legal representation. Contact a DUI lawyer right away to contest your charges and ensure that you do not suffer severe punishments.

Without a top DUI attorney working on your case, you can rest assured that your charges will either be significantly lowered or dropped altogether. Your paralegal will fight for your rights and ensure that your case ends with the best possible outcome. Contact a skilled DUI lawyer near you today to get started on your case.

Tags: Airfield Operations, Bac Level, Belmont Avenue, Bench Trial, Bondy, Breath Test, Chronic Alcoholism, Criminal Courts, Dineen, Dui Charge, Expert Witness, Fatal Crash, Liver Disease, Motorcycle Driver, Northwest Side, O Hare International Airport, Operations Supervisor, Police Detective, Police Interview, Two Beers

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.