Driver charged in fatal rollover on frozen Lincoln Park lagoon

A man has been charged with drivingunder the influence in connection with a fatal rollover crash that occurred on Lake Shore Drive near the Lincoln Park Zoo early Monday, police said.

Rafael Rodriguez, 42, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence causing an accident or death, misdemeanor driving under the influence, driving without a license, driving on a suspended license as well as a citation for failure to reduce speed and stay in a lane, police announced late Tuesday.

About 1:40 a.m. Monday, Rodriguez was driving south “at a high rate of speed” in the 2200 block of North Lake Shore Drive. He lost control of the vehicle, hit a guard rail and then a tree before the vehicle came to a rest on its roof on top of a frozen lagoon, police said.

A passenger in the vehicle, 37-year-old Claudia Beruben, of the 12400 block of South Laflin in Calumet Park was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Rodriguez, of the 3900 block of North Ashland, remained hospitalized at Illinois Masonic Medical Center Tuesday, police said.

Photo from NVP.