Driver Charged With DUI After Fatally Striking Brenda L. Schrader, 55
Motorist Bertha Saaverda-Velazquez, 26, was charged with aggravated DUI causing death after she struck and killed Brenda L. Shrader, 55, last Sunday in the North Park community.
At 1:42 a.m., Schrader, who lived in Portage Park, had parked her car and was crossing the street in the 5900 block of North Jersey, authorities said. Velazquez, who lives in Craigin had previously been at a birthday party, was traveling southbound when struck Schrader, whose body went over the hood of the vehicle and broke the windshield.
Schrader was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. After an autopsy conducted that day, the death was ruled an accident.
Velazquez, who stayed at the scene, took a Breathalyzer test, which found that she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.113, well above the legal limit of 0.08, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Her license had been suspended since early 2017, according to prosecutors. At a hearing on Monday, Bail was set at $40,000, the next court date was scheduled for April 30.
Fatality Tracker: 2018 Chicago pedestrian and bicyclist deaths
Pedestrian: 7
Bicyclist: 1
Note: Streetsblog Chicago’s traffic death numbers represent fatal crashes on Chicago streets. The pedestrian count above is based on Chicago Police Department data for January 2018 released by the Chicago Department of Transportation, plus media reports for February through April.
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