Teen Drank, Smoked Pot, Took Muscle Relaxers Before Fatal Crash: Court

COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — The 19-year-old who caused a fatal crash in Norwood Park on Monday had been drinking, smoking marijuana and taking muscle relaxers, prosecutors said Thursday.

Mishel Lame, 19, had a blood alcohol content of .19 percent after the crash, Assistant State's Attorney Marilyn Salas-Wail said during a bond hearing Thursday. That's almost 2½ times the legal limit for driving.

The crash happened about 7:30 p.m. Monday in the 5100 block of North Nagle Avenue.

@SPOTNEWSonIG @PeterNickeas @Chicago_Scanner 5000 N Nagle not sure what happened but it doesn't look good pic.twitter.com/ZLzkXuXewT

— mikeymac (@mikeymac21) January 19, 2016

Lame was driving a white BMW northbound on Nagle Avenue when he rear-ended a Jeep that was stopped at the intersection of Nagle and Carmen, prosecutors said. The Jeep slammed into a Lexus that was stopped in front of it — sending the Lexus into oncoming traffic, where it crashed into a Honda that had been heading south on Nagle, according to Salas-Wail.

Meanwhile, Lame's BWM spun around and struck a tree on the east side of Nagle, prosecutors said, knocking down the tree. Lame had been speeding, according to police.

When officers arrived on the scene, they saw Lame standing on the sidewalk about 10 feet from the BMW. His passenger, 20-year-old Marion-Mario Tahiraj, was trapped inside Lame's car, prosecutors said.

Fire department personnel were able to extract Tahiraj from the car. He was pronounced dead at 10:50 p.m. at Lutheran General Hospital, authorities said. The cause of death was multiple blunt-force injuries due to a motor-vehicle accident, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

None of the occupants from the Jeep, Lexus or Honda were seriously injured, Salas-Wail said.

Lame, of the 6400 block of West Warner Avenue in Dunning, is charged with aggravated DUI causing death. He was also cited for negligent driving, failing to slow down and driving a car without insurance, police said.

Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas on Thursday ordered Lame held without bail. Lame was still in the hospital Thursday afternoon, and did not appear at his bond hearing.

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