Waukegan Mother Maria Conchita Perez, 35, Dies in I-94 Crash After Friend Allegedly Drove Drunk
Maria Conchita Perez, 35, of Waukegan, died Saturday after her friend allegedly drove drunk and crashed into a semi-truck on I-94 near Gurnee. The driver, Priscilla Martinez, 29, was arrested and charged with aggravated DUI causing death.
A Waukegan family loses a mother to a drunk driving crash on I-94
Maria Conchita Perez, 35, of Waukegan, died Saturday morning after a friend allegedly drove drunk and slammed their car into a semi-truck on westbound Interstate 94 near Gurnee.
Perez was the passenger in the vehicle. She left behind a 17-year-old son who now faces a life without his mother.
The crash on Interstate 94
The Gurnee Fire Department, Libertyville Fire Department, and Illinois State Police responded around 5:07 a.m. Saturday to a crash on I-94 between Route 120 and O’Plaine Road near Gurnee, according to police records.
A 911 caller reported a car sideways in lanes 1 and 2 with a victim inside who had a possible broken neck, according to police radio traffic.
The vehicle involved was a Mazda SUV with heavy front-end damage. The second vehicle was a semi-tractor-trailer that sustained rear-end damage.
Priscilla M. Martinez, 29, of Gurnee, was behind the wheel of the Mazda. She called 911 to report the crash, telling dispatchers she had hit a truck and her friend had a broken neck, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris.
Driver tested positive for alcohol
Martinez told Illinois State Police troopers she had three drinks at a bar in Chicago before heading back to Lake County, Katris said. She struck the rear of the semi-truck while traveling in the right lane, he said.
Martinez also referenced looking at her phone when the crash occurred and said she was traveling 70 to 80 mph when she hit the truck, Katris said.
Her breath alcohol concentration was 0.146 when she provided a breath sample, Katris said.
Perez pronounced dead at hospital
Paramedics found Martinez and Perez in the Mazda and one adult male in the semi-truck. None of the victims required extrication, according to Gurnee Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Steffens.
Perez suffered life-threatening injuries and was unconscious at the scene, Steffens said. She was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was pronounced dead, according to Illinois State Police.
Martinez had no serious complaints regarding injuries but was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center for evaluation. The semi-truck driver was uninjured and declined hospital transport.
Troopers shut down lanes 1, 2, and 3 for the investigation. The lanes reopened around 10:45 a.m.
Martinez charged with multiple felonies
Martinez was arrested by Illinois State Police special agents after being released from the hospital and transported to the Lake County Jail.
She faces the following charges, according to Katris:
- Aggravated driving under the influence causing death
- Driving under the influence of alcohol
- Improper traffic lane usage
- Failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash
- Aggravated using a communication device resulting in death
Martinez appeared in First Appearance Court on Sunday morning. The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain her pending trial. Lake County Judge Patricia Cornell ordered her held until a detention hearing, which is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
Friends remember a “beautiful mother”
Perez was a pop-up coordinator for Community Outreach Waukegan, the group’s founder, Miguel A. Rivera Sr., said.
“She was a beautiful mother, a loving daughter, an amazing friend, and someone who brought light and laughter everywhere she went,” said Waukegan resident Frankie Rosa.
Rosa continued:
“She had a kind heart, an outgoing spirit, and a way of making everyone around her feel loved and welcomed. Her smile, energy, and caring soul touched so many lives.”
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the hospital to take possession of Perez’s body. An autopsy is expected to be performed on Tuesday.
A GoFundMe account for the family’s unexpected funeral expenses has raised over $7,500 toward a $9,000 goal from 100 donors, according to the campaign page.
Perez’s 17-year-old son remains in Waukegan as his family grapples with the loss.