Parents say they are shaken and outraged after a Chicago limo driver was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol while taking 23 teenagers to their high school prom.
MyFoxChicago.com reports the teens noticed red flags while they were being driven to the dance at Oswego East High School by 54-year-old Richard Madison Saturday night. Student Kelly Dano tells the station the driver seemed "sketchy" from the beginning, but got worse as the ride went on.
"He hopped over a median and cut off 3 cars and then...he took us to the wrong hotel, he took us to the Hyatt hotel instead of Abbington Place so we had 5 more miles to go," she said.
Authorities say some of the students called their parents over the erratic driving, and two off-duty police officers controlled the situation once the limo arrived at the prom venue.
DuPage County Sheriff's deputies then arrived and arrested Madison for driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless conduct.
Kelly Dano's mother Lori says the situation left her shaken.
"That's why us parents provide limos so that they're safe and don't have to worry about them driving an hour away by themselves and then this happens," she told MyFoxChicago.com.
Madison claims he is innocent of the charges, claiming the limo had mechanical issues that caused him to drive erratically.
"You know, if I was guilty, I would still be in jail," Madison told MyFoxChicago.com after posting bail. "That's my thought. I would not be at home right now."
The limo company which employs Madison did not return MyFoxChicago.com's requests for comment.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
