Drunken driver ignored barricades before head-on crash that seriously injured another motorist, Portage cops say

Wilkins De Garcia Perez

PORTAGE — An alleged drunken driver, who reportedly ignored barricades to continue driving at a high rate of speed southbound on County Line Road, crashed head-on into another vehicle, leaving that driver with a bloodied face and numerous broken bones in his leg, Portage police say.

Wilkins De Gracia Perez, 37, of Portage, faces a felony count of operating while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury and other less OWI charges, according to the arrest report.

The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. Saturday along County Line Road near U.S. 6, police said.

Officers said they arrived to find the driver of a yellow Nissan pickup truck with blood covering his face. The 57-year-old Hobart man was taken to the hospital to be treated for a head injury and broken bones in his leg.

Police said as they later interviewed him, the man was in extreme pain and "nearly crying while giving a statement."

Perez, who was uninjured, told officers he was southbound on County Line Road when he followed another vehicle around barricades closing the road due to a fallen tree.

"Wilkins stated he then drove into the northbound lane and flashed his bright headlights to the yellow truck to signal him he was going through," according to the arrest report. "Wilkins stated as he went southbound in the northbound lane, the yellow Nissan truck continued north, which caused them to crash."

A witness driving behind the truck told police he saw the driver of the truck brake and slow down while Perez continued at a high rate of speed before crashing head-on into the truck.

An officer said he spotted an open beer bottle on the floor of the vehicle driven by Perez and said the passenger-side floorboard appeared to be wet with spilled alcohol. Perez reportedly told police he had been drinking earlier that day.

Perez refused to take part in sobriety tests or to have blood drawn, which resulted in police obtaining a search warrant for his blood. A test revealed his blood alcohol concentration to be nearly twice the legal limit for driving, police said.