17 July 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chief Tom Weitzel tweitzel@riverside.il.us 708.447.2127 - Follow RPD on Twitter @pdriverside


Riverside Police Arrest Man for Felony Revoked Driver's License as Repeat Offender
When arrested, Lemont man states he is on his way home from
court ordered DUI counseling
On Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 8:05 p.m., a Riverside police officer stopped a black Chevy suburban at
Harlem and East Burlington after he was observed blowing through a red light. After driving through the
red light, he continued to drive in a reckless manner by improperly overtaking traffic on the right while he
continued south on Harlem from the 3300 block.
When the officer made contact with the driver, he stated he did not realize that the parking lane was for
parking only and thought that he could continue to drive through the parking lanes on Harlem Avenue.
When asked for his driver's license, the driver, Luther Caldwell, stated it was revoked for a prior DUI.
Mr. Caldwell was arrested and his vehicle was towed.
Once at the police station, it was learned that Mr. Caldwell had three prior DUI arrests and convictions and
had been arrested numerous times for driving while his license was suspended or revoked. The basis of
his revoked driver's license was on a DUI conviction. Mr. Caldwell had been arrested for previous DUIs
by the Woodridge Police Department, the Illinois State Police, and the Forest View Police Department.
During the interview process, Mr. Caldwell told the arresting officer that he was on his way home from
Lottero Hospital in Chicago. He was returning from a drunk driving and alcohol counseling session that
was court ordered as part of his last 2012 DUI arrest and conviction.
Arrested for aggravated felony driving while license revoked, disobeying a traffic signal, and
driving in the wrong lane was Luther R. Caldwell, 59 of the 11 South 200 Block of Carpenter in
Lemont. Mr. Caldwell's bond was set at $10,000.
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel stated, It has continued to be common place that Illinois police
officers are arresting defendants for driving while their licenses are suspended or revoked for not just one
previous DUI conviction but multiple DUI convictions. Riverside is a town of only 9,000 and in 2013; the
Riverside Police Department made 163 suspended/revoked license arrests. Of those 163 arrests,
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RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT
31 Riverside Road, Riverside, IL 60546
52 percent of those driver's licenses were suspended or revoked based on a prior DUI conviction and
39 percent had multiple convictions. It is apparent that having a suspended or revoked driver's license is
no deterrent to individuals convicted of DUI and ordered not to drive. Chief Weitzel went on to say, To
try and ensure that individuals don't drive, the Riverside Police Department will confiscate all vehicles and
proceed with civil litigation to seize them from convicted offenders. We will then use the proceeds if the
cars are awarded to us to fight drunk driving.
Mr. Caldwell's car was seized by Riverside Police and we have started the asset forfeiture on his 2002
Chevy suburban.

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