March 09--A West Side man was ordered held on $500,000 bail Sunday after prosecutors said he sped down the street in a drug-addled stupor before fatally striking a pedestrian and injuring his teen daughter in the back seat.
Harry Clemons, 35, of Chicago, is charged with felony aggravated DUI after he allegedly struck and killed Andrew Smith, 41, on Thursday in the 300 block of South Pulaski Road, according to Cook County court records.
Smith, of the 1900 block of South St. Louis Avenue, was pronounced dead at 1:54 p.m. Thursday, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Clemons had picked up his 18-year-old daughter around 1 p.m. Thursday to take her to get her paycheck, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Danny Hanichak said Sunday in bond court.
When the woman got in the car, she noticed that her dad and another passenger appeared to be under the influence of drugs, Hanichak said.
The daughter had seen Clemons under the influence of PCP and other drugs several times before and pleaded with her father to let her drive since he was high, but Clemons refused, according to Hanichak.
Clemons drove away and his daughter noticed he was "zoning out" at a stop light, Hanichak said.
He also was babbling incoherently, Hanichak said, and when the light turned green Clemons' friend yelled to make him drive.
He turned onto Pulaski and sped the 2000 Cadillac Seville up to 65 mph, Hanichak said, and began jerking the wheel, causing the car to swerve.
Smith was crossing the street when Clemons struck him, according to Hanichak and court records.
Clemons then struck two unoccupied parked cars, he said.
Clemons' daughter was able to get herself out of the car but suffered an eye socket fracture and a leg injury, according to Hanichak.
Paramedics had to pull Clemons and the other passenger out of the wrecked car, Hanichak said.
The front seat passenger suffered internal injuries, multiple leg bone fractures and was scheduled to undergo surgery Sunday, Hanichak said.
Clemons' face appeared to be cut and bruised Sunday when he appeared before Judge Donald Panarese.
Clemons, of the 4200 block of West Congress Parkway, has five prior felony convictions and was taken to Stroger Hospital after the crash, where a blood test revealed he had PCP, cocaine and marijuana in his system, according to Hanichak and court records.
His license was revoked at the time of the incident, Hanichak said.
geoffz@tribpub.com
