Aurora man charged with DUI in Batavia crash that critically injured bicyclist
An Aurora man has been charged with driving under the influence in connection with a crash that critically injured a teenage bicyclist in Batavia last month.
Cesar A. Gandarilla, 38, of the 400 block of West New York Street, has been charged with six counts of aggravated DUI, unlawful cannabis use by a driver, driving under the influence of drugs and aggravated use of a communication device while driving, along with other traffic violations, Batavia police said Wednesday in a news release.
Police said Gandarilla was driving a GMC Denali at 2:29 p.m. May 31 on South Batavia Avenue at Union Avenue when his vehicle allegedly struck the bicyclist in a crosswalk at the intersection.
A case is already pending against Gandarilla where he is charged with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and possessing cannabis as a driver on Sept. 29, 2022, according to Kane County court records.
Gandarilla does not appear to be in custody yet, according to jail and court records.
The teenage bicyclist was the second to be hit by a vehicle on Route 31 in Batavia in the month of May.
Earlier this week during a City Council meeting, Batavia city officials said the Illinois Department of Transportation has agreed to turn Route 31 into a three-lane road from Fabyan Parkway to Wilson Street and Main Street to Mooseheart Road.
The changes are not likely to happen until April 2024, but it is years earlier than originally planned, according to officials.
Batavia City Administrator Laura Newman also said the city is creating educational campaigns urging drivers to slow down.
IDOT has also agreed to study the speed limits on Route 31 starting in July, Newman said.
