Woman Had Kids in Car in Riverside DUI Crash

Police say a Chicago mother was driving drunk and high with her four children in the car before causing an accident on Sunday in west suburban Riverside.

Liliana Hernandez, 36, faces several charges, including two counts of DUI, possession of cannabis, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, illegal transportation of alcohol and four counts of endangering the life of a child, according to a statement from the Riverside Police Department.

About 6:40 p.m., Riverside officers responded to a two-car crash near Harlem and East Burlington, police said. Hernandez was “very belligerent” at the scene and yelled, “Those illegals in the other car caused the accident,” police said.

She failed a field sobriety test, and authorities later found her blood alcohol concentration to be .154, almost double the legal limit.

The oldest of Hernandez’s four children — all younger than 13 — told police that their mother was speeding when her 1998 Toyota crashed into the second car, a 2001 Audi, police said.

Two adults and three children in the Audi were taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn with minor neck injuries and bruising, police said.

Alcohol spilled all over Hernandez’s car and her children because of the impact, her oldest child told police. Officers found a bottle of Hennessy inside a diaper bag in the car.

Hernandez was combative through the arrest process and “acted irrationally” once at the police department but refused medical attention, police said.

Her family bonded her out about 10:30 p.m. But as they drove her home, Hernandez jumped out of the vehicle, ran into a park in the 100 block of Fairbanks and threatened to jump off of the Barrypoint Bridge.

Her family called 911, and officers were able to place her back in custody, police said. She was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn for evaluation.

Court information was not available for Hernandez, who lives in the 3500 block of West Belden.