Prosecutors have dropped a DUI charge against a retired priest accused of running over two Catholic school teachers — killing one of them — last year while leaving a Christmas party in Orland Park.
Rev. Paul Burak no longer faces the alcohol-related charge in connection to the Dec. 4 hit-and-run that killed Margaret “Rone” Leja, according to Cook County records.
Burak, 73, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the remaining counts of causing and leaving the scene of a deadly accident, court records show. He was initially charged with aggravated DUI, but that charge was dropped by prosecutors Jan. 7.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19432520/unnamed.jpg)
Reached by phone Tuesday, Orland Park police Chief Timothy McCarthy said he agreed with the state’s attorney’s office to drop the charges.
“The state’s attorney didn’t feel there was enough evidence there, and that’s probably the case,” McCarthy said. “He went into custody more than 24 hours later, so field sobriety tests weren’t valid.”
At the initial bail hearing in December, prosecutors said Burak got into his gold 2016 Buick Regal, hit a parked car while backing out of his spot at the Square Celt Ale House & Grill and then struck two women as they walked on an access road. He continued driving without stopping, prosecutors said.
The women, both teachers at St. Micheal School in Orland Park, were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where Leja, 61, was pronounced dead. Elizabeth Kosteck, 54, was seriously injured and released from the hospital the next morning.
Prosecutors said a man driving behind Burak saw the crash and followed him to the access road’s dead end, where Burak stopped for about 20 seconds. The other driver got out of his car and walked toward Burak, but Burak drove into a nearby Panda Express parking lot, prosecutors said.
The man followed, took a picture of Burak’s license plate and told him to go back to where the women were hit, prosecutors said.
Burak drove back to the Square Celt parking lot, where police were already investigating, prosecutors said. Officers stopped him, but Burak never got out of his car and did not report his in role the crash.
A St. Michael’s priest then saw Burak hit another car’s bumper while trying to make a three-point turn in the lot and offered to drive him home, prosecutors said. The priest drove Burak’s car while another couple from the party followed behind. At one point, the priest had to pull over and find Burak’s address on his insurance card because Burak said he couldn’t remember it, prosecutors said.
Burak, of Palos Heights, was arrested two days later and ordered held on a $10,000 bail. He was released on bond that day, and was ordered to stay at home on electronic monitoring.
At his bail hearing, one of Burak’s attorneys said Burak was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and glaucoma.
Burak told police that he takes medication for his Parkinson’s and blacked out after having a Manhattan and a glass of wine at the party, prosecutors said then. Burak allegedly said he knew the women were hit, but didn’t know how and thought he had hit a curb the night before.
Burak is due back in court March 18.
