Chicago, Illinois - Off-Duty Cook County Sheriff's Deputy Nick Theofanopoulos Killed in Alleged DUI Crash

Woman Charged with Multiple Felonies Following Suspected DUI Crash

A 21-year-old Markham woman has been charged with multiple felonies following a fatal alleged DUI accident which took the life of a Cook County sheriff’s deputy on Monday night.

Monzerat Perez has been charged with felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence that caused a deadly accident, reckless homicide with a motor vehicle, and escape from a police officer.

The sheriff’s deputy who died in the crash has been identified as Nick Theofanopoulous. The 39-year-old man was driving north on the 10300 block of South Kedzie Avenue at around 9 p.m. Monday when he collided with Perez’s Jeep as she was backing out of a driveway and beginning to turn southbound.

Theofanopoulous was transported to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he passed away. Perez was also brought to that hospital for treatment. She was scheduled to appear in bond court on Thursday afternoon, January 24.

Justice for Drunk Driving Victims and Their Families in Illinois

Attorney contributor Brian Kent represents those who have been hit by drunk drivers and their families, helping them find the financial compensation they deserve through civil lawsuits. Here are some of his thoughts on liability for drunk driving accidents in Illinois:

There are many concerns to address in the aftermath of a drunk driving accident. Victims who were injured in the crash must get immediate medical attention and the drunk driver must be arrested and charged. It’s also important to consider the role that third parties, such as alcohol vendors, may have played in the crash. In Illinois and many other states, alcohol vendors can be held liable for providing alcohol to an intoxicated person who causes an accident.

Illinois’ dram shop laws are less restricted than most. While many other states only allow vendors to be held liable if the person was already “visibly intoxicated” prior to the alcohol sale, this requirement does not exist in Illinois. Alcohol vendors can be held liable if the following factors can be proven true:

• The vendor sold alcohol to the customer
• The customer caused injuries or damages
• The vendor was the proximate cause of the customer’s intoxication
• The intoxication was at least one of the major causes of the accident and injuries

If you or a loved one has been hit by a drunk driver in Illinois, you can learn more about your legal rights by speaking to one of our experienced drunk driving accident victims lawyers.