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Posted: Thursday, 14 May 2009 1:21PM
Woman arrested for DUI after leaving path of destruction
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NAPERVILLE, Ill. (STNG) -- An allegedly drunken driver left more destruction in her wake Wednesday afternoon ithan the severe thunderstorms that swept through the western suburbs later that night.
Naperville police said Margaret T. Puleo lost pieces of her front bumper and trim when she crashed her car into several boulders outside an apartment complex.
She then allegedly hit a car near North Central College, struck its driver with her car after he got out to survey the damage, and ultimately knocked down at least one mailbox, more than 10 miles from where the mayhem began, police said.
Puleo, 43, of Wood Dale, faces charges of DUI, aggravated battery in a public place, leaving the scene of an accident involving damage to an attended vehicle and driving too fast for conditions/failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, according to records on file in DuPage County Circuit Court. The aggravated battery charge stems from Puleo's alleged striking of the other motorist with her car.
Police Cmdr. Joel Truemper said the trouble began at 5:23 p.m. Wednesday while Puleo was outside the Huntington Apartments at 20 S. Naper Blvd. She was drunk as she got behind the wheel of her gold, four-door 1997 Infinity, Truemper said.
"As she was trying to leave that apartment complex, she hit some large landscaping rocks" near a driveway, shearing shards of metal and plastic from the front of the car, he said.
A bystander called 911 as Puleo drove west on Chicago Avenue and struck a silver 2006 Chrysler convertible being driven by a 35-year-old Aurora man at the intersection of Chicago and Columbia, he said.
Both drivers got out of their cars and were soon joined by a third motorist, who stopped after witnessing the crash, Truemper said. Puleo and the Aurora man were then informed police were on their way to the area.
Truemper said that information prompted Puleo to "jump back in her car and hit the driver of the first car" with her vehicle. Paramedics later examined the man, who reportedly suffered a serious but non-life-threatening injury, Truemper said.
Puleo successfully evaded police for about 90 minutes, until just before 7 p.m., when police "got a call about a car that took out at least one and perhaps several mailboxes" on the 3700 block of Mistflower Lane.
Truemper said Puleo was identified as the driver and was taken into custody.
Police are continuing their investigation of the matter. Truemper said "there could be additional charges, although none had been filed as of Thursday morning.
Puleo is free on bail and her court arraignment is pending.
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