Chicago officer charged in car crash that killed 2

[September 24, 2008]  CHICAGO (AP) -- A Chicago police officer was indicted Tuesday on charges of reckless homicide and felony drunken driving in a pre-dawn car crash last Thanksgiving that left two young men dead.

John Ardelean, 34, was indicted seven months after a judge dropped lesser charges against him, citing witnesses who claimed the five-year veteran officer didn't appear to be drunk at the time of the crash.

Cook County State's Attorney Richard Devine's office issued a statement saying the decision to pursue new and tougher charges against Ardelean was made after "an exhaustive review of all the evidence by top supervisors in the state's attorney's office." A spokesman for Devine's office, John Gorman, declined to say what new evidence, if any, had been presented to the grand jury and whether it had been offered before Circuit Judge Donald Panarese dropped the earlier charges. Surveillance video played on local TV stations shows Ardelean in a tavern shortly before the Nov. 22 crash. Ardealean's vehicle collided with another, killing Miguel Flores, 22, and Erick Lagunas, 21, and injuring a third man in their car. Ardelean's attorney, Thomas Needham, could not be reached immediately for comment. A message was left on his answering machine. The state's attorney's office said that Ardelean could be sentenced to up to 28 years in prison if convicted. [Associated Press; By MIKE ROBINSON] Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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