The driver injured in a single-vehicle crash Tuesday evening in McDonough County was drunk behind the wheel at the time of the wreck, according to authorities.
Forty-eight-year-old Waylon Paul, a resident of Macomb, also was injured in the crash, according to reports from the Illinois State Police. He later was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a suspended license, troopers said.
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Paul also reportedly was cited with illegal transportation of alcohol and failure to wear a seatbelt. The allegations likely will require Paul to obtain representation from a drunk driving attorney to guide him through upcoming criminal proceedings.
Paul at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday was driving a pickup truck east on McDonough County 2100 when he lost control of his vehicle, troopers said. The truck veered off the roadway, struck a ditch and rolled over.
Paul was ejected due to the force of the crash, investigators reported. He apparently was not secured with a seatbelt when the crash occurred, they said.
Authorities said Paul was transported from the scene to a local hospital to be treated for injuries that weren’t considered life-threatening.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. It is unclear from information released thus far whether authorities suspect other factors, like speed, might have helped lead to the crash. Paul’s truck was the only vehicle involved in the wreck and no other injuries were reported.
Online court records don’t yet list many details about upcoming court proceedings, nor do they identify a drunk driving attorney who has been retained to represent Paul.
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