A Berwyn man has been charged with a felony in connection with the weekend crash that left an Illinois Tollway maintenance worker dead and injured two others, Illinois state police announced Wednesday.
Paul Ong, 37, faces one count of aggravated driving under the influence involving death. On Wednesday, prosecutors filed a petition seeking his detention while he awaits trial, according to Cook County court records. Defense attorneys are seeking pretrial release with conditions of no driving, electric home monitoring and SCRAM alcohol monitoring, per court records.
Tollway worker killed, 2 others injured in Tri-State Tollway crash
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The three workers were struck early Saturday while making pothole repairs on the Tri-State Tollway near Des Plaines. As they worked on the southbound tollway (Interstate 294) near milepost 41.5, they were hit by a vehicle just before 4:30 a.m.
The workers were taken to an area hospital, where one of them died, authorities said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the deceased worker as Calvin L. Holley, 52, of the city’s Dunning neighborhood.
Holley’s death, through an autopsy on Sunday, was ruled an accident caused by multiple injuries from a motor vehicle striking a pedestrian. State police on Wednesday said the other two workers sustained non-life-threatening injuries but did not provide an update on their conditions.
State police kept all southbound tollway lanes closed for more than five hours while they conducted their investigation.
In the wake of the fatal crash, Gov. JB Pritzker mourned the injured workers on social media and reminded drivers to slow down.
“Heartbreaking news this morning as three tollway workers were struck in Des Plaines while working,” Pritzker wrote on X over the weekend. “May their memory be a blessing, and may we come together to pray for the injured. Remember to slow down and keep our workers safe.”
Ong’s is scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday.
An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that Ong had been ordered detained as he awaits trial at an initial court appearance on Wednesday.
The Tribune’s William Lee contributed.