A DuPage County judge set bond at $500,000 Monday for a Naperville man accused of a DUI crash that killed three people in October, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B. Berlin and Lisle Chief of Police Ron Wilke announced.
22-year-old Brendan Wydajewski is facing three counts of Aggravated DUI Causing Death, a Class 2 Felony, A DuPage County release said. He was also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Transportation or Possession of Open Alcohol by a Driver, both misdemeanors.
Alleged DUI Crash
Lisle police responded to reports of a crash at the intersection of Warrenville Road and Corporate West Drive at about 1:18 a.m. October 30. They found two vehicles at the scene, one of which was cut in half, with the driver side on the road and the other side found off the road to the north.
The driver of the ripped-apart vehicle was 46-year-old Andrew Purtill, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The second vehicle was allegedly driven by Wydajewski. Inside that vehicle, police found 22-year-old Geovanny Alvarez, pronounced dead at the scene, and 21-year-old Graciela Leanos, who was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead later that evening.
Wydajewski was found seriously injured on the ground near the driver’s side of the vehicle and was transported to a local hospital for medical attention. He stayed at the hospital until November 28.
Officers allegedly found two handguns in the second vehicle.
The allegations assert that Wydajewski was driving at around 122 miles per hour westbound on Warrenville Road when he crashed into Purtill’s vehicle, and that his blood alcohol concentration was .147 when taken at the hospital.
Official Comments
“Like all alleged DUI cases, the case against Mr. Wydajewski was 100% avoidable,” Berlin said. “As I have said countless times in the past, if you have been drinking, do not drive. This is particularly relevant now, as we begin the holiday season. It is a very simple idea but unfortunately, in far too many instances, people feel they are able to drive when they are not, and tragedy follows as alleged in this case.”
According to Wilke, “Law enforcement remains steadfast in seeking justice for those impacted by these reckless acts and urges people to consider these traumatic impacts prior to driving while intoxicated and at excessive speeds.”
Next Steps
Wydajewski will appear in court next on January 11, 2022. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty through a fair trial.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Flanagan reports.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
