A Brookfield man police have accused of being drunk when he rammed his car into a tree at Jaycee/Ehlert Park, injuring himself and three others, has been indicted by a Cook County grand jury.
On Dec. 8, the grand jury handed down an indictment against Jeffrey D. Phillips, 22, charging him with six counts of aggravated driving under the influence, causing great bodily harm. He will be arraigned in front of Judge Noreen Love at the Maybrook courthouse on Jan. 5.
He remains free on bond.
According to Brookfield police, Phillips’ blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit of .08 when he lost control of his 2003 Buick Riviera at the intersection of Oak and Shield avenues, jumping the curb and hurtling into the park.
The car struck a tree, injuring Phillips and three passengers. One of the passengers, a 27-year-old Chicago man, was hospitalized for at least a week with a broken ankle, broken shoulder blade and other cuts and bruises.
That man reportedly struggled out of the car after the impact and collapsed on the pavement nearby. A female passenger in the back seat also exited the car while Phillips and a front seat passenger had to be extricated by a witness and police before the vehicle burst into flames.
– Bob Uphues
