A Winfield man rear-ended an SUV on East Touhy Avenue on the evening of Wednesday, July 29, while driving with a blood-alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit, Des Plaines police said.

The arrest adds to a string of recent DUI cases along the Touhy Avenue corridor, a major route connecting Des Plaines, Park Ridge and Niles.

Matthew Drzewiecki, 45, was driving a black Chevrolet sedan in the 1100 block of East Touhy Avenue at 8:45 p.m. when he struck the rear bumper of a Toyota Highlander after tailgating the vehicle, according to a Des Plaines Police Department crime report released Friday, July 31.

The Highlander's driver told officers Drzewiecki had been following very closely and hit them when they slowed for traffic.

When officers spoke with Drzewiecki at the scene, they detected a strong odor of alcohol and noted slurred speech. He used the side of his car for balance while stepping out. Drzewiecki initially denied drinking but later admitted he had consumed alcohol both before and while driving, police said.

He agreed to standardized field sobriety tests and showed visible signs of impairment.

Officers took Drzewiecki into custody and transported him to the Des Plaines police station. An inventory search of his Chevrolet turned up two open alcohol bottles in the driver's side door compartment. A breath test at the station returned a result nearly four times the 0.08 legal limit in Illinois.

Drzewiecki was charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving under the influence of alcohol and DUI with a BAC over 0.08. He was also ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, following too closely and illegal transportation of alcoholic liquor by a driver. He was cited and released. No court date was listed in the police report.

As we reported Aug. 4, a Chicago man was arrested July 24 for DUI after crashing on Merrill Street in Park Ridge. That arrest followed two other Park Ridge DUI cases during the week of July 6.

On the same evening as Drzewiecki's arrest, a separate incident on Touhy Avenue in Des Plaines involved a Chicago woman charged with felony hit-and-run after allegedly forcing a motorcyclist off the road, according to the Journal & Topics.

Residents who witness impaired driving can call 911.