Joliet man arrested over fatal pedestrian crash

A Joliet man has been arrested on charges alleging he drove under the influence and caused a crash that killed a pedestrian on Joliet’s near West side.

About 8 a.m. Wednesday, Samuel Byrd, 31, was arrested in connection with crash a that killed Alex Dauzvardis, 36, and taken to the Will County jail. Byrd had been at large since Oct. 23, 2019, when a judge signed a warrant for his arrest.

Kathy Hoffmeyer, spokeswoman for the Will County Sheriff’s Office, said it appeared deputies with the sheriff’s warrant division picked Byrd up at his residence in the 600 block of Ida Street.

Byrd faces eight counts of aggravated DUI and one count of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He’s scheduled for an arraignment on Tuesday.

On June 6, 2019, Dauzvardis was found by officers near the corner of West Park Front Street and Park Drive, Joliet police said in a news release.

He showed no signs of life and fire department paramedics confirmed he was dead, police said.

The Will County Coroner's Office said Dauzvardis was struck by a vehicle and killed. An autopsy showed Dauzvardis suffered multiple injuries, officials said.

Dauzvardis' obituary said he held jobs in various positions ranging from construction to health and fitness. He was also the father of two daughters.

The charges allege Byrd was driving with a blood-alcohol concentration greater than the legal limit when he was involved in a motor vehicle crash that resulted in Dauzvardis's death.

As of Thursday afternoon, Byrd remains in jail on a $500,000 bond.