Woman due back in court in September over DUI, stolen vehicle
URBANA – A Springfield woman who allegedly stole a man's truck from an Urbana tavern and later got in an accident in Champaign is due back in court Sept. 7.
Rachel Ridgeway, 34, was charged Wednesday in Champaign County Circuit Court with possession of a stolen vehicle and driving under the influence.
Urbana police Lt. Bryant Seraphin said the truck owner had stepped outside Bunny's, 119 W. Water St., to have a cigarette about 12:05 a.m. Wednesday when he saw his truck backing out. He had left the keys in it, Seraphin said.
The truck took off, eventually heading east on Main Street.
Minutes later, a University of Illinois police officer saw the truck get in an accident with another vehicle at the intersection of Kirby Avenue and Oak Street and keep going.
Ridgeway was arrested at the intersection of Kirby Avenue and Grandview Drive in Champaign, where she was found passed out. Due to a strong odor of alcohol, she was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital, where chemical tests were done.
Ridgeway was ordered held on a total of $6,000 bond in the two cases. If convicted of possession of stolen vehicle, she faces penalties ranging from probation to three to seven years in prison.
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