Drunken driver slams into squad car, injures police officer in Lyons

A Lyons police officer was injured early Sunday morning when a drunken driver slammed into his squad car.

At 2:16 a.m., Riverside police officers were called to assist Lyons police at the intersection of Ogden Avenue and 39th Street, according to a statement from Riverside police.

The Lyons officer was stopped at a red light on 39th, just south of Ogden, waiting for the light to change, police said. The other driver, 48-year-old Eleodoro Gonzalez-Guzman, passed out while driving and slammed into the officer’s squad car when he woke up.

Riverside police assisted with the crash investigation and drunk driving arrest because the Lyons officer was injured and incapacitated at the time, police said. The officer was taken to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood with non-life threatening injuries. The car was severely damaged.

Gonzalez-Guzman was transported to MacNeal Hospital for treatment to minor injuries, police said. He told officers he had at least five beers before driving, fell asleep at the wheel when he got to the red light at 39th and Ogden and then woke up once he crashed into the squad car.

Gonzalez-Guzman, of Berwyn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and driving with no vehicle insurance.