Man, Lyft driver both charged with DUI after fatal crash near Humboldt Park

Two people have been charged with driving under the influence in connection with a head-on collision early Friday near Humboldt Park that left a passenger in a rideshare vehicle dead.

Travis Anderson, 25, of Tempe, Arizona, was charged with a felony count of aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death and misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, Chicago Police said.

Anderson was denied bail at a hearing Sunday, according to Cook County Sheriff’s Office records.

Police said Anderson was driving a Toyota Avalon about 3:55 a.m. Friday when he crossed over the center line in the 1600 block of North Humboldt Boulevard and struck a Toyota Camry being operated as a Lyft head-on.

The Lyft driver, 32-year-old Elizabeth Renter, of Lena, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition after the crash, police said. She was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of a drug.

The collision killed 23-year-old Anudari Bayaraa, who was a passenger in the Lyft, police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said.

Bayaraa, of the North Center neighborhood, suffered blunt force head trauma in the crash and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced, authorities said. Her death was ruled an accident.

A GoFundMe account set up for her memorial had raised $21,715 toward a goal of $25,000 as of Monday morning.

Another passenger in the Lyft, a 31-year-old man, was also taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in good condition, police said.

A Lyft spokeswoman said the company was “deeply saddened and shocked by this incident.”

“Immediately upon hearing these allegations, we deactivated the driver,” the company said in a statement. “Lyft has zero tolerance policy for the behavior described. Our sympathies and hearts go out to the loved ones of those involved during this difficult time. We have reached out to law enforcement and stand ready to assist in any investigation.”

CPD’s Major Accidents Unit was investigating the crash.