Feb. 17--A 26-year-old man was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and negligent driving after he struck two girls, ages 7 and 14, in the Portage Park neighborhood Tuesday morning, police said.
The girls were walking in a crosswalk in the 3400 block of North Austin Avenue when they were hit around 8 a.m., according to police, who said there were no traffic devices or signals there. Chicago Academy High School and Chicago Academy Elementary School are in the same block.
Matthew Lucchini, of the 2300 block of Remington Drive in Naperville, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol, one count of misdemeanor leaving the scene, two counts of misdemeanor failure to yield the right of way to pedestrians in a crosswalk and one count of misdemeanor negligent driving.
The driver left the scene but was taken into custody a "short distance away," said Officer Nicole Trainor, a Chicago police spokeswoman.
The 7-year-old was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in serious condition, Trainor said. She was stabilized by 1 p.m. and needed stitches to her chin, said Officer Bari Lemmon, a Chicago police spokeswoman. The 14-year-old was also taken to Lutheran General with a minor injury to her ankle.
