Illinois State Police Arrests Chicago Man for Aggravated DUI after Fatal Weekend Crash on the Stevenson Leaves One Dead
August 17, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 17, 2026
CHICAGO – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 Special Agents arrested 20-year-old Armando Gonzalez Vargas of Chicago, IL, following a deadly crash on the Stevenson Expressway.
On August 15, 2026, at approximately 4:30 a.m., ISP Troopers responded to a crash on I-55 southbound at Wentworth Avenue in Chicago. A white GMC struck the rear of an SUV, causing the GMC to run off the roadway and hit a concrete median barrier. The passenger of the GMC was pronounced deceased on scene. The driver of the GMC, Gonzalez Vargas, was transported to an area hospital with injuries. The driver and passenger of the SUV were also transported to an area hospital with injuries.
On August 16, 2026, ISP presented the case to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved one count of Reckless Homicide (Class 3 Felony) and one count of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence Involving Death (Class 2 Felony). Gonzalez Vargas was released from the hospital and taken into custody pending his first court appearance.
The charges are not evidence against the defendant, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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