Midway Airport Worker Charged in Fatal DUI Crash Outside Chicago Police Headquarters
A tragic incident unfolded on October 14, 2024, outside Chicago police headquarters when a 19-year-old Midway Airport ramp worker, Erick Garcia-Ambriz, was involved in a high-speed collision that resulted in the deaths of rideshare driver Kalieb Ghebreyesus and his passenger, Shanika Smith, both aged 41.
Garcia-Ambriz now faces serious charges, including two counts of aggravated DUI causing death and two counts of reckless homicide. Prosecutors allege that Garcia-Ambriz was intoxicated and speeding at 86 mph southbound on Michigan Avenue when he ran a red light at 35th Street, colliding with Ghebreyesus’ vehicle, causing it to flip and land on its side on the sidewalk across the street from CPD headquarters.
Surveillance footage from police headquarters captured the crash, revealing that the traffic light had been red for 43 seconds before Garcia-Ambriz entered the intersection. Witnesses reported seeing Garcia-Ambriz speeding and even pulling to the side to avoid him moments before the collision.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found Garcia-Ambriz in his vehicle, while both victims had to be extricated by the fire department and were pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Hospital. Garcia-Ambriz’s front-seat passenger survived with cuts and bruises.
Subsequent investigation showed that Garcia-Ambriz had a blood alcohol concentration of .105, above the legal limit of .08. Data from his vehicle indicated that he did not apply the brakes until a half-second before impact, and DNA evidence linked him to genetic material found on the airbag.
Despite the severity of the charges, Judge Susana Ortiz decided not to detain Garcia-Ambriz, opting instead to release him on an ankle monitor. The reasons for the delay in filing charges, over a year after the fatal collision, remain unclear.
