Man Was Driving 108 MPH In Crash That Killed 3: Police

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL — An arrest has been made in a traffic crash that killed three people last month in Mount Prospect. Garrett M. Kowalski, 25, of the 500 block of N Third Avenue, Des Plaines, is accused of three felony counts of reckless homicide, three felony counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs and one felony count of possession of a controlled substance, according to a news release from the Mount Prospect Police Department.

The charges stem from the traffic crash that took place March 7 on Rand Road (Route 12) and Mt. Prospect Road. Kowalski was driving a gold Ford Escape that struck a white Honda Accord, killing Des Plaines residents Francisco Flores Rodriguez, Georgina Perez Gomez and Francisco Javier Flores Perez, according to police.

Police arrived at the crash scene at around 7:44 a.m. and found the car of the deceased with heavy damage and Kowalski's car, which had heavy front-end damage and was rolled over onto its roof. The deceased were found dead inside the Honda, according to police.

The traffic crash was investigated by the Mount Prospect Police Department Major Crash Investigation Team, along with the assistance from the Major Case Assistance Team’s Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction team. The investigation revealed that Kowalski left his home and began travelling northwest bound on Rand Road from Third Avenue, where he accelerated at a high rate of speed. Scene evidence, witness statements and surrounding businesses’ camera footage indicated Kowalski ran the red light at Wolf Road and continued on Rand Road until he drove into the intersection of Mt. Prospect Road, running the red light and striking the white Honda’s driver’s side, killing the three occupants, according to police. The Honda was found to be entering southbound into the intersection on a green light.

Based on a search warrant executed download of the Ford’s crash data recorder, the approximate speed of the Ford when it struck the Honda was approximately 108 mph, according to the news release. Kowalski was transported to a local area hospital for treatment of his injuries.

After the crash, the Des Plaines Police Department responded to a 911 call at Kowalski’s apartment for an unsecured front door. Due to narcotics being observed in plain view by a Des Plaines police officer, Mount Prospect police obtained a search warrant for Kowalski’s apartment, where a white powdery substance was located laid out in a manner to suggest recent use, according to the news release.

The white powder was sent to be tested at the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory, where the presence of ketamine was confirmed. Ketamine is a controlled substance, classified as a dissociative anesthetic. Ketamine is an impairing substance when ingested into the body that can render a person unable to operate a motor vehicle safely.

A search warrant was obtained to retrieve Kowalski’s blood sample that was drawn shortly after the crash while he was being treated at the hospital. The blood sample was submitted to the crime lab which tested positive for the presence of ketamine, according to police. After the lab results were obtained, Mount Prospect Police requested Kowalski to surrender himself, which he did on the evening of April 8.

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