2 Injured As Car Crashes Into Evanston McDonald's (Again)

EVANSTON, IL — Two people were injured Thursday after a van crashed into a McDonald's in Evanston, authorities said. Evanston police and fire crews were on the scene of the crash around 7 a.m. and Howard Street was closed between Ridge and Asbury avenues.

A 47-year-old Chicago woman was trying to turn from Oakley Avenue onto westbound Howard Street around 6:52 a.m. when she lost control and struck the restaurant, police said. Intoxication was not a factor in the crash.

Gas was leaking from inside the maroon Dodge Grand Caravan, which smashed through a window and wall at the fast food chain's 1117 Howard St. location. As of Thursday afternoon, the business was closed pending a structural assessment, repairs and a clean-up.

The driver and a 58-year-old Chicago resident, a customer who was inside the McDonald's at the time and suffered minor cuts, were both taken to St. Francis Hospital with minor injuries, according to Cmdr. Ryan Glew.

The driver was issued a traffic citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and a local ordinance citation for damage to a city tree. Howard Street was closed for about two hours after the crash.

A window on the Howard Street McDonald's location appeared still boarded up after having been struck struck by another vehicle in a May 3 crash. In that incident, the driver was arrested and charged with DUI and two drug-related felonies, Glew said.

Around 2:20 a.m. officers were dispatched to the McDonald's, where they found witnesses trying to keep the driver from getting up. Officers said the driver was at first unable to speak or respond and appeared to be impaired by drugs. Police reported he was handcuffed after becoming violent and taken to the hospital after having a seizure. a search of his white Nissan Ultima turned up nine individually packaged baggies of suspected crack cocaine, a digital scale, several small bags of cannabis and a half smoked marijuana cigar.

Jordan Billups, 30, of the 1400 block of W. Edgewater Avenue, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and driving under the influence of drugs. He was also issued civil law citations for possession of a small amount of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the May 3 incident.