GOLD COAST — Former Ald. Proco Joe Moreno was charged with drunken driving and reckless driving in a series of Gold Coast crashes Sunday night that left a trail of wreckage through the neighborhood, police said.
Moreno, 48, is accused of being behind the wheel at about 9:20 p.m. Sunday when he slammed into at least eight cars on North Astor Street, police said.
The former First Ward alderman, who was ousted from the City Council by voters in 2019, was taken into custody at the scene and taken to Northwestern Hospital.
He was later released, booked at the 18th Police District and charged with driving under the influence, reckless driving and five counts of failure to notify damage to an unattended vehicle, police said.
Police said he was driving south on Astor Street about 9:20 p.m. Sunday when he hit several parked cars along a four-block stretch. The damage to cars went from 1200 North Astor to 1500 North Astor near Division.
Moreno lost his re-election bid in February 2019 to Daniel La Spata. He’s since been charged with a felony count of insurance fraud and a felony count of obstruction of justice.
In that case, police and prosecutors have said Moreno invited a woman he was dating to his home on Jan. 3, 2019, and encouraged her to borrow the car.
The next day, Jan. 4, he reported it stolen in a call to police — but even after reporting the car stolen, he made dinner plans with the woman, prosecutors said.
Moreno also filed an insurance claim, insisting the car was stolen, prosecutors said.
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