Ambulance Driver's Blood Alcohol Was Three Times Over the Limit: Cops

A Lockport man was drunk when he crashed an ambulance in Chicago's Uptown community on Monday night, according to police.

John Lara, 31, is charged with aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm after the crash at about 10:45 p.m. Monday at Clark and Montrose, according to ABC 7. Police said his blood alcohol content was .271 — more than three times the legal limit — after the crash, which left another driver with a concussion.

According to ABC, Lara told police he was on his way to pick up his partner and a patient at a hospital on Monday night. He allegedly admitted he had been drinking mixed drinks prior to the accident. 

The channel reported that Lara was heading south on Clark with his ambulance lights flashing and siren blaring, when he ran a red light and struck a pickup truck, police said. The 43-year-old driver suffered a serious concussion, while Lara sustained a back injury. Click to read the full article.

Lara remains in custody at the Cook County Jail. His bail was set at $300,000. He is also charged with disobeying a red light, failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident, negligent driving and failing to carry/display a driver's license.
Will County court records show numerous traffic charges for Lara, including driving on a suspended license, driving without insurance and driving 26-30 mph above the limit, dating back to 1999.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Lara also has arrests dating back to 2002 in Cook County, including allegations of forgery, unlawful use of a weapon and impersonating an officer, and was arrested in Louisiana in 2007 on suspicion of drunk driving. He has been a licensed emergency medical technician in Illinois since 2011.