Man charged with fatal DUI in Addison

A man has been charged with a fatal DUI that happened early Friday morning in west suburban Addison.

Mario Gonzales, 37, of Addison, appeared in bond court Saturday morning and had his bond set at $1.5 million, with 10 percent to apply, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office. He was charged with one count of aggravated DUI causing death, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

At 1:48 a.m. Friday, Addison police responded to a fatal crash at the intersection of Swift Road and Lake Street, prosecutors said. After arriving, they found Fredy Loyo, 29, and Gonzales in their respective vehicles.

Loyo was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, prosecutors said. It is alleged Gonzales was speeding westbound on Lake Street in his vehicle, and that as he approached the intersection at Swift Road, he crashed his vehicle into the side of Loyo’s, causing Loyo to spin around and ultimately hit a telephone pole.

Gonzales’ vehicle was found approximately 100 feet from the intersection, prosecutors said. An investigation revealed Gonzales’ BAC was allegedly .19.

“Year after year, thousands of innocent victims lose their lives as a result of drunk driving crashes, as is alleged in this case,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “Unfortunately, people continue to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking, thinking that they are fine to drive when in fact they are not. As I have said over and over, drunk driving fatalities are 100 percent avoidable.”

Gonzales’ next court date was scheduled for Oct. 15.