Man charged with DUI in Stevenson crash that killed Marine changing tire being held in jail

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Man charged with DUI in crash that killed Marine changing tire
A man was charged with a DUI in a Stevenson Expressway, or I-55, crash that killed a Marine changing a tire on Chicago's Southwest Side.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The 40-year-old Chicago man 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, will be held in jail.

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.

In court Wednesday, a judge granted the state's motion for pretrial detainment.

Lara Chavez is next due in court April 30.

He was hospitalized after the crash with non-life threatening injuries.

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.

The video in the player above is from an earlier report.