Man charged with DUI in Stevenson Expressway crash that killed Marine changing tire

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 40-year-old Chicago man has been charged with driving under the influence in a crash that killed a Marine sergeant, who had been changing a tire on the Stevenson Expressway over the weekend.

Octavio Lara Chavez has been charged with aggravated DUI involving death and aggravated DUI involving great bodily harm in the crash that killed Nikolas Hutto Sunday night, Illinois State Police said Wednesday.

Lara Chavez was hospitalized after the crash with non-life threatening injuries, and is being held, pending a detention hearing.

State police said Lara Chavez's Dodge pickup left the roadway and veered onto the right shoulder, hitting a Hyundai and two pedestrians, including Hutto, at Cicero Avenue.

The other pedestrian suffered serious injuries.

Family said Hutto served four tours in the Middle East.

The 28-year-old from Tinley Park had been heading home from a Blackhawks game with friends, when he hit a pot hole on the Stevenson, and needed to change a tire, family said.

Relatives said Hutto, a Florida native, moved to the south suburbs a few months ago to be with his girlfriend after completing his military service in 2020.

"He was weeks away from proposing. They just bought a house in September," said Jeffery Hutto, Nik's father.