A man has been charged with driving under the influence after he allegedly crashed head-on into a pickup truck Tuesday night in an unincorporated area of Will County and killed its teenage driver.
About 8:30 p.m., John Parchem, 49, was headed south on the Dixie Highway north of County Line Road in a 2012 Ford Expedition when he crossed over into the opposite lane and struck a northbound 1998 Nissan pickup head-on, according to Illinois State Police.
The driver of the Nissan, identified as 17-year-old Daniel Gradilla of Chicago, was ejected from his vehicle and was later pronounced dead at a hospital, according to state police.
Parchem, of Grant Park, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and later charged with aggravated DUI, state police said. Additional charges against Parchem were still pending Wednesday afternoon.
