Park Ridge police have confirmed that a man arrested in the city on drunken driving charges last week is a member of their department.
Kevin P. Ryan, 39, a 16-year veteran of the Park Ridge Police Department, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he was involved in a one-vehicle crash at the intersection of Canfield Road and Belle Plaine Avenue just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 26, said Police Chief Frank Kaminski.
Ryan, a patrol officer, was off duty at the time, Kaminski said.
According to a preliminary accident report, one of Ryan’s fellow officers responded to the crash and noted a “strong odor of alcohol on [Ryan's] breath.” The officer also noticed that Ryan’s “speech was slurred and mumbled and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.”
The officer wrote that there was blood on Ryan’s forehead and the side of his head. His 2002 Chevy Trail Blazer had sustained extensive front-end damage, the report stated.
Ryan reportedly told the responding officer that he was heading to his nearby Chicago home and did not know how the crash occurred.
According to the accident report, Ryan’s vehicle appeared to be headed south on Canfield when it left the road and struck a light pole, knocking it down at the base. The vehicle then struck a parkway tree before coming to a stop.
Ryan was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. He was released later that day and was charged, in addition to DUI, with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving without a seatbelt, improper lane use, and driving off a roadway, according to police.
Ryan was placed on paid administrative leave as a result of his arrest, and an internal investigation is being conducted, Kaminski said.
“I’m extremely disappointed and, in fact, embarrassed by this incident,” Kaminski said. “Police officers are supposed to be positive role models in our community. Officer Ryan has dishonored his badge and ultimately will be held accountable for that.”
Ryan’s arrest was included in a weekly bulletin released by the Park Ridge Police Department on Oct. 27, but police did not initially identify Ryan as a member of the department.
Ryan is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 20.
