Cops: Man driving nearly three times speed limit charged with DUI

(RIVERSIDE) A man driving 99 mph in a 35 mph zone after leaving a New Year celebration in west suburban Riverside has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.

Miguel A. Ocampo, 20, of the 8100 block of West 30th Street in North Riverside, was charged with speeding, reckless driving, DUI, second count of DUI for the blood alcohol concentration, disobeying a traffic control light and not having vehicle insurance, according to a statement from Riverside police.

About 1 a.m. New Year’s Day, a Riverside police officer on patrol stopped a westbound 2006 Nissan four-door car near 27th Street and Des Plaines Avenue after it was seen disregarding a red light and traveling 99 mph in a 35 mph zone, police said.

When the officer, who was working the Illinois Department of Transportation DUI Enforcement Grant, approached the driver, identified as Ocampo, he noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from his mouth and breath, police said.

Ocampo admitted drinking and was on his way home from celebrating the New Year at a party in Chicago, police said. A Breathalyzer test revealed he had a .13 blood-alcohol content, while the legal driving limit is 0.08.

Once in custody, Ocampo told the officer that he “wanted to see how fast he could get his car to travel in the shortest distance possible,” police said.

Police said he was “extremely belligerent and wanted to fight with police during his entire processing in the booking room at the Riverside Police Department.” He also told officers he had stolen the car, but the car was found to be owned by a relative who did not want to pursue charges even though the vehicle had been taken without consent.

“It is obvious that the funds distributed to local municipalities and police departments by the state to enforce DUI laws does pay dividends,” Riverside Police Chief Thomas said in the statement. “If this individual had not been stopped, he probably would have crashed his vehicle and either killed himself or killed and harmed others who were traveling home from their jobs or other holiday parties.”