A 17-year-old Schaumburg boy was killed Friday in a collision involving a commercial truck driver whose license had been suspended for drunken driving and obtained at a scandal-plagued secretary of state’s licensing facility, authorities said.
The truck driver, Richard S. Gancarz, 43, of Bloomingdale, who authorities said had a history of drunken driving, originally received his commercial driver’s license at the secretary of state’s McCook facility in 1992, but authorities said there was no indication he obtained his license improperly.
As of late Friday, he had not been charged in the accident.
McCook is one of several Chicago-area commercial driver’s license facilities targeted in a federal investigation of license selling at the secretary of state’s office.
The fatal crash happened Friday at 8:50 a.m. in Wood Dale. Police said Aric B. Wooley was killed after he turned his Chevrolet Camaro from Thorndale onto Wood Dale Road. The semi-tractor/trailer driven by Gancarz struck the Camaro on its passenger side, police said.
Wooley was taken to Alexian Brothers Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 9:23 a.m., police said.
Gancarz’s condition was not immediately available late Friday and authorities said the crash remained under investigation.
Court records show Gancarz had a history of drunken driving, beginning six years ago.
Gancarz had his license revoked in March after refusing to take a Breathalyzer test during a traffic stop in January, said Dave Druker, a secretary of state’s office spokesman. At the time of his suspension, he had been ordered not to drive until 2003, Druker said.
In August 1994, court records show Gancarz was under court supervision for drunken driving. Two months later, Gancarz refused to take a Breathalyzer and was given a two-year license suspension.
Late Friday, Wooley’s dad said the tragedy shouldn’t have occurred.
“My son happened to be a really great kid and he was taken out in the prime of his life,” said Jerry Wooley, 52. “I understand this man had a number of reasons why he shouldn’t be on the road but he elected to be there.”
