A man with several DUI convictions was charged again after driving past police in the wrong direction on a one-way street in Riverside.
Just before 1 a.m. on Friday, a police officer saw a 2008 Nissan car drive the wrong way on a one-way street passing a fully marked police car, according to a statement from Riverside police. The driver turned right on Pine Avenue from Longcommon and headed westbound on a eastbound only street.
The officer stopped the vehicle and asked the driver, 34-year-old Frank Y. Oppong, where he was going, police said. He said he thought he was in the village of Maywood. There was a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breathe and the man had a very hard time communicating with the officer.
Oppong told the officer he did not have a driver’s license, police said. He said he was coming from a family Thanksgiving party where he had been drinking for most of the night. After checking records, the officer learned that his license was revoked for several prior DUI convictions. Oppong failed all field sobriety resting and showed signs of severe impairment.
Before towing his car, the officer found a half empty bottle of Remy Martin in the driver’s front seat area, police said.
After Oppong was arrested he told officers, “Maybe I’m a little tipsy, but not that drunk.”
Oppong, of the 1800 block of North Monticello in Chicago, was charged with felony aggravated drunk driving, felony aggravated driving while license is revoked, transportation with open alcohol, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and several other traffic citations.
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He was previously charged with two DUIs and had five other charges for driving while his license was revoked, police said. His history includes over 30 prior arrests for invasion of privacy, burglary, damage to property, obstructing justice, obstructing the police and several alcohol-related arrests.
“This was one example of the alcohol fueled arrests that have been made over the Thanksgiving holiday,” Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in the statement. “The worst Illinois offenders for drunk and drugged driving continue to drive over and over again after each time they are arrested.”
Riverside police have filed civil seizure paperwork to confiscate Oppong’s car. If they are awarded his car, they will sell it and use the proceeds to fight drunk and drugged.
