Police reports: Braidwood mayor drove with woman, child passengers in 3-car crash

Braidwood Mayor Bob Jones was driving with a 30-year-old woman and her 9-year-old daughter when he was involved in a three-car crash that led to his arrest last November for driving under the influence, according to Illinois State Police reports.

Jones pleaded guilty March 3 to DUI and driving an uninsured vehicle, court records show. Prosecutors dropped charges of failure to reduce speed and following too closely.

Among the offenses Jones was initially arrested for after the crash on Nov. 24 was endangering the health or life of a child, according to an Illinois State Police field report. The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze that Jones rear-ended was treated at a Kankakee hospital for a concussion, according to the police reports.

When asked about the state police charges, the child in Jones’ car and why he was not charged with a felony, Will County State’s Attorney spokeswoman Carole Cheney said the case is awaiting sentencing and “it is not appropriate for our office to discuss specific facts in light of our ethical obligations.”

“As in all matters, our office reviewed all the evidence in making the charging determination,” Cheney said.

Jones previously pleaded guilty to DUI in 2008, court records show. He was sentenced to a year of court supervision, ordered to undergo alcoholism treatment and pay $1,250 in fines.

Jones’ attorney Eugene Fimbianti said he couldn’t discuss his client’s case. Jones failed to return calls to his office at Braidwood City Hall on Wednesday.

A state trooper who investigated the crash saw Jones’ Chevrolet Tahoe had heavy front-end damage and the Cruze he rear-ended had heavy rear and moderate front-end damage, Illinois State Police reports said.

The driver of Cruze told the trooper she was behind another Chevrolet at the intersection of Route 53 and Coal City Road when she was rear-ended by Jones’ car, which caused her to rear-end the Chevrolet, according to police reports.

The trooper attempted to make contact with a 30-year-old passenger in Jones’ car “with unsuccessful attempts” and discovered her 9-year-old daughter was in the rear passenger seat, the police reports said.

Court records show the woman works for the Braidwood restaurant Jones-Eez Bar-B-Que, which is owned by Jones.

When a trooper had Jones perform a walk-and-turn test after suspecting he drove while intoxicated, Jones lost his balance during his second attempt at the test and then stopped the test “completely after looking at me and laughing,” the police reports said.