Chick-fil-A workers spot motorist in drive-thru who smells of alcohol — and their alarm heightens when they see his passenger



Quick-thinking employees at a Chick-fil-A in New Jersey may have saved a 6-year-old girl from danger, according to police.

A male motorist went to the drive-thru of the Turnersville fast-food joint with his 6-year-old daughter in his pickup truck.

One of the officers allegedly distracted the daughter so she wouldn't see her father being arrested.

Fast-acting Chick-fil-A workers allegedly noticed the motorist in the drive-thru smelled of alcohol — as well as spotting the young child in his vehicle.

“They smelled alcohol on his breath, and they were able to see all that alcohol inside the car,” Washington Township Police Chief Patrick Gurcsik told WTXF-TV.

The outlet reported that there was an open beer can in the car — plus a 30-pack of beer, and a trash bag full of empty alcohol containers.

Bodycam video shows officers retrieving the alcohol from the vehicle.

The female Chick-fil-A employee who smelled the alcohol allegedly informed the manager, who in turn contacted police.

In order to prevent the driver from getting back on the roads and potentially causing an accident, Chick-fil-A employees reportedly informed the driver to pull over and wait for his order.

While waiting for his food, police officers made it to restaurant within five minutes and approached the driver before he departed.

Chief Gurcsik noted that the man was "extremely cooperative" with law enforcement.

Upon arrival at the Chick-fil-A, police conducted field sobriety tests — which the driver reportedly failed. The driver took a breathalyzer test that reportedly revealed a blood-alcohol level of .16 — twice the legal limit.

The driver was heard telling cops on the police bodycam footage, "I was just trying to go home and get to bed, you know?"

Police arrested the driver.

One of the officers allegedly distracted the daughter so she wouldn't see her father being arrested.

Officers occupied the 6-year-old girl with food until her grandfather could pick her up.

Gurcsik said, "It could have been a tragic ending for another family or for this family — who we essentially helped Saturday night by taking him off the road."

A manager for the Chick-fil-A restaurant in Turnersville declined to provide a comment to WTXF.

You can view a video report here about the incident.

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Illinois HS senior killed in 'fast and furious' crash before graduation by alleged drunk driver racing 131 mph: 'Most genuine human'



A high school senior's promising future was tragically cut short three weeks before graduation after he was involved in a devastating car crash that split his car in half. Authorities say the Illinois teen was killed in a "fast and furious" accident caused by a drunk driver racing at 131 mph and had his lights off.

Around 11 p.m. on May 12, 21-year-old Taeyoung Kim was reportedly racing his 2021 Ford Mustang at speeds exceeding 130 mph in Glenview, Illinois – a suburb approximately 20 miles northwest of Chicago.

Police said Kim's own dashcam captured him speeding, aggressively passing other vehicles, and running a red light.

Witnesses claimed to have observe Kim driving with his headlights off, according to court documents. Kim allegedly turned his headlights back on as he was entering an intersection. However, it would be too late.

Kim's Mustang plowed into a Mercedes being driven by 17-year-old Marko Niketic.

The impact of the crash was so immense that it split Niketic's car in half – the front half was on the road and the back half flew into a nearby fence of a backyard.

Citing the bond court proffer, WMAQ-TV reported that Kim's vehicle was traveling at 131 mph just 2.5 seconds before the crash and 122 mph at the time of impact, according to the vehicle's black box.

The speed limit on Lake Avenue at that location of the car accident is 35 miles per hour.

Niketic was pronounced dead at the crime scene.

Niketic's 16-year-old girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat at the time of the car crash, suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, hematoma of the brain, a fracture of the pelvis vertebrae, and hyper-density of the left frontal lobe of the brain with loss of consciousness and seizure.

A passenger in Kim's vehicle also sustained significant injuries, including a fractured back and a severed artery.

Niketic's unnamed girlfriend and Kim's passenger were both rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The girlfriend was reportedly released from the hospital on Friday.

Kim allegedly sustained a broken femur in the car crash.

A blood test revealed that Kim had a blood alcohol level of .088 – above the legal limit. The test also found that he had cannabis in his system, according to court docs.

Police found a bong, rolling papers, a one-hitter cannabis pipe with residue, and two plastic containers with cannabis residue inside Kim’s vehicle during their investigation.

Kim was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of aggravated DUI causing death, reckless homicide, aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm, DUI of alcohol, DUI of drugs, and several traffic violations, including speeding 35 mph over the limit.

Kim is being held without bond.

Kim made his first court appearance on Saturday, when the judge said the "fast and furious deadly accident" was a "brazen disregard for human life."

His next court date is scheduled for May 24.

Niketic's heartbreaking death happened exactly three weeks before he was set to graduate from Glenbrook South High School on June 2. The teenager's funeral was held two days before he was to attend his senior prom.

Last week, a vigil was held near the crash site with Niketic's heartbroken family in attendance.

Preston Shute, a friend of Niketic, told NBC Chicago, "He's one of those people, you meet him, and he’s glowing. The most genuine human ever. He had a lot of stuff ahead of him. I can’t really process it."

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Northbrook man charged with DUI in crash that killed teen in Glenview www.youtube.com

Woman charged with killing bride on wedding night released from prison just 10 months after deadly DUI crash



The South Carolina woman accused of driving drunk and killing a bride on her wedding night has been released from jail – just 10 months after the deadly DUI crash.

Judge Michael Nettles issued a motion on Friday morning granting the release of Jamie Lee Komoroski – who was indicted on Sept. 12, 2023, on charges of felony DUI resulting in great bodily injury or death and reckless homicide.

On Friday afternoon, Komoroski was seen exiting the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston alongside her father after her $150,000 bond was posted.

She had faced a maximum prison sentence of 25 years.

As part of the conditions of her release, Komoroski will be placed under house arrest in Charleston County and only permitted to leave for medical emergencies or court orders. The accused drunk driver must also wear a SCRAM, or a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring device that continuously tests a person's sweat for alcohol 24 hours a day.

Komoroski, 26, is also restricted from driving and has surrendered her passport.

Her attorneys released a statement on the judge’s decision that reads: "We have consistently asserted that Jamie is not a flight risk or danger to the community, and she now looks forward to demonstrating her continued commitment to rehabilitation upon her pretrial release from detention."

Komoroski had been in jail since the fatal DUI crash that took the life of a bride on her wedding day on April 28, 2023.

Komoroski was driving her Toyota Camry when she smashed into a golf cart carrying Samantha Miller, 34, and Aric Hutchinson, 36, moments after their wedding in Folly Beach, South Carolina.

The car crash killed Miller at the scene while she was wearing her wedding dress. Hutchinson suffered brain injuries and two others were wounded from the crash.

As Blaze News previously reported, police said that data from Komoroski's car indicated that she was driving about 65 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone when she crashed into the golf cart.

Court TV reported, "A lawsuit filed by Hutchinson and Miller’s family against Komoroski accuses her of spending the evening bar hopping at several establishments before getting behind the wheel."

Prosecutors claimed she had a blood alcohol level of 0.261 — three times over the legal blood-alcohol limit.

At the time of the crash, Komoroski reportedly told police, "All the sudden something hit me. I did nothing wrong."

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Bond set at $150K for woman accused in deadly Folly Beach DUI crash www.youtube.com

'My baby boy is in a casket': Portland judge slammed for releasing drunk driver accused of killing 11-year-old boy



A Portland judge released an Oregon man accused of a drunken car accident that killed an 11-year-old boy, according to reports. The release has sparked local outrage.

Around 10:19 on July 8, Portland Police Department officers responded to an automobile crash. There were reportedly two vehicles involved in the accident, including one car that was rolled over. Investigating the car crash in the Mill Park neighborhood were the Portland Major Crash Team, the Enhanced Community Safety Team, and the Focused Intervention Team.

According to authorities, one of the drivers – 29-year-old Duprie Smith – had a gunshot wound. Another car crash victim – 11-year-old Ryan Ambrose – suffered serious life-threatening injuries, and first responders attempted CPR at the scene.

The New York Post reported, "Smith claimed in a now-deleted Facebook post that he was 'shot two times' and was on his way to the hospital when he 'passed out/fainted from loss of blood [and] crashed into another car.'"

Smith’s attorney claimed that an ambulance was taking too long so his client drove himself to the hospital because he believed he was "bleeding out."

Ambrose was also taken to the hospital.

The outlet added, "The footage also allegedly showed Smith running red lights, swerving through traffic, before hitting the car Ambrose was in. The affidavit estimated that Smith was driving 86 mph in a speed limit zone of 30 mph, overturning his car.'"

Ambrose was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The New York Post reported, "Dashcam footage from Smith’s car showed him 'driving erratically' and heard him saying: 'Where’s the hospital?' and 'I am going to die,' the affidavit said, according to KGW 8."

Smith was charged with manslaughter in the first degree. He was allegedly held in the Multnomah County Detention Center on DUI charges.

KAKE reported, "According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the Deputy DA in this case requested $100,000 bail, but the judge declined bail and instead released Smith on enhanced DUII conditions, meaning he cannot possess or consume alcohol, he is not allowed to use any drugs not prescribed by a doctor, he cannot drive or possess a vehicle, and he cannot enter any bars, taverns, or other businesses that primarily serve alcohol. He was released on Monday."

However, family members are frustrated over the suspect being released on zero bail after the deadly accident.

The slain boy’s grandfather, Mario Trejo, told KPTV, "He was killed by a drunk driver and now this guy is in his house watching TV and my grandson is in a case in the funeral home right now."

"We think this is not fair. What are they trying to do? Wait until he kills someone else and then arrest him? He was drunk driving 90 miles an hour. Ran every single red light," Trejo said. "This is not fair," Trejo said. "Where is the justice? We need it. The whole family needs it."

Trejo added, "It's not fair that he gets to be out on the streets when my baby boy is in a casket. He needs to be locked away. We all hurt and we all need justice. We need him to be put away."

The grandfather said, "Everybody is destroyed. I cannot tell you how the pain is. He came to visit us for two weeks. He was seven hours away from getting on the flight back home with his mom. Now mom is going to receive him in a case. Just imagine the pain."

The family started a GoFundMe campaign for funeral expenses

The grandfather demanded justice, and encouraged concerned individuals to visit the crowdfunding effort.

"Don’t do it for us, do it for the little kid. He was 11-years-old. He didn’t do nothing wrong with nobody," Trejo said online. "It's not fair he was killed by a drunk guy driving 90 miles an hour, running every single red light. It’s not possible that it was an accident. He knew if he drove like that he could kill somebody and he didn’t care. He was driving 90 miles an hour. No lights, not stopping at a single red light. So what was he expecting to happen?"

Smith is scheduled to appear in court on August 1.

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'Never be able to hug her mom again': Repeat drunk driver faces murder charge for driving wrong way and killing mother, injuring children



A California man with a history of drunk driving is accused of killing a mother and injuring her children in a tragic head-on collision.

Around 6:30 p.m. on May 11, Jose Vargas drove the wrong way on Highway 395 in Hesperia, California. Vargas and his 2003 Chevy Tahoe crashed head-on into a 2018 Toyota Prius – which had Lisette Villasenor, 36, her daughter Ashley, 12, and son Daniel, 6, inside.

Villasenor and her children were transported to a regional trauma center by air and ground. The mother of three was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her two children in the car suffered moderate to major injuries from the devastating car crash that obliterated the Prius.

Villasenor was allegedly driving her daughter to cheerleading tryouts.

Meanwhile, Vargas was reportedly not hurt in the wrong-way car crash.

Vargas was charged with murder in the car collision.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office complaint stated that Vargas committed a felony and did so "with malice" in the "murder Lisette Villasenor, a human being."

Vargas was on probation at the time of the deadly car crash and has DUI convictions in San Bernardino County, Orange County, San Diego County, and Los Angeles County.

In 2019, Vargas was reportedly convicted of felony DUI, sentenced to 210 days in jail, and three years of probation.

Law & Crime reported, "San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office noted that Vargas’ 2019 conviction came with the signing of a 'Watson Advisement,' a term in California law that stems from the decades-old California Supreme Court case People v. Watson. In that case, the court decided DUI drivers can be charged with murder in certain circumstances, particularly when defendants exhibit 'implied malice.'"

Prosecutors said Vargas signed another Watson Advisement in 2022 after being convicted in Orange County.

The Watson Advisement that Vargas signed stipulated that he could be charged with murder if someone is killed as a result of him driving drunk in the future, according to the New York Post.

Vargas signed off on the statement, “If I continue to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, and as a result of that driving, someone is killed, I can be charged with murder.”

Ashley's cheerleading team launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for family expenses and medical bills.

"Ashley will never be able to hug her mom again," the crowdfunding listing read. "A drunk driver stole Lisette's future with her husband Humberto and three children, Ashley, Julian, and Daniel."

Repeat California drunk driver killed mom, injured kids in head-on collision: cops | New York Post www.youtube.com

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