Prosecutors Say Accident Victim Was Trying To Stop Drunk Driver

Cook County prosecutors say the victim of a hit-and-run crash in West Town Saturday was dragged by a man he was trying to stop from driving because he was too drunk to operate a vehicle.

Shane Stokowski was drinking in the same bar as Timothy McShane, and when McShane got up to leave, Stokowski followed him out to the parking lot, according to prosecutors.

Stokowski went up to the McShane's SUV and leaned into the driver’s side window in an apparent attempt to stop McShane from driving away, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

But McShane, who has a suspended driver’s license and previous DUI arrests, backed out of the Aberdeen Tap’s parking lot, hit several cars and sped off with the 33-year-old Stokowski still hanging on to the vehicle’s window, Assistant State’s Attorney Dan Griffin said.

McShane, 42, drove for three-quarters of a block in the 400 block of North Aberdeen before Stokowski fell and hit the pavement, Griffin said.

Stokowski died of blunt trauma to the head and abrasions from the pavement, authorities said. Police said he had been run over by another vehicle.

Instead of contacting police, McShane went to his girlfriend’s house, parked her Nissan Murano and fell asleep for three hours, Griffin said.

When police found him there, McShane told them that Stokowski had tried to attack him and that he fled in fear, according to a police report.

McShane, a father of one, also told officers that Stokowski tried to rob and beat him and made a mark on his neck, the report said.

Hours after he left the bar — at 1:06 am. Sunday — McShane’s blood-alcohol level was still .225, more than twice the state’s legal .08 limit, Griffin said.

Before the fatal hit-and-run, McShane, who works in construction, and Stokowski were having drinks with their respective friends at separate tables at the Aberdeen Tap, 458 North Aberdeen, Griffin said.

A little before 4:50 p.m., the bartender stopped serving McShane because he was drunk, Griffin said.

McShane was ordered held in lieu of $350,000 bail Tuesday for reckless homicide, aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

He received court supervision in 1993 for a DUI.

McShane was arrested again in 2006 for another DUI but that charge was reduced to reckless driving.

McShane’s had an address listed in Park Ridge and another in Arlington Heights in the police reports.