Dying dad heard howling after cocktail-fueled teen crashes into him at 87mph
A dying father could be heard crying out in pain after his car was struck by a speeding teenage joyrider, leaving his seven-year-old daughter with a broken spine.
Eglin Manuel Castro Alvarez's howls were captured on bodycam footage filmed in Chicago on January 7 after Peter Swenson, 19, crashed into him.
Swenson, a medical student, was filmed telling police he'd had two espresso martinis and gone for a 'joyride' to let off steam while caring for his father, who has stage four liver cancer.
Swenson allegedly ran a red light in Oak Lawn while driving his father's 2022 Lincoln and crashed into Alvarez, 27, and his daughter, only slowing to 87mph upon impact.
The bodycam footage, obtained earlier this week by BodyCam Edition, also picked up the screams of Alvarez's daughter, who has not been named. Neither could be seen on camera.
Alvarez had just finished work and was collecting his daughter from her babysitter when he was hit while crossing the intersection at 3.08am.
Officers managed to get the girl out of the vehicle and rush her to hospital, but it took half an hour for firefighters to cut off both driver's side doors to free the man.
Alvarez was pronounced dead at the hospital three hours after the crash. His daughter survived with seven spinal fractures, broken ribs, and bruised lungs.
Swenson who was seen in bodycam footage wearing an expensive Canada Goose jacket, told police after the crash that he was out for 'a little joyride' with his girlfriend after the stress of his father's cancer battle.
In the footage his girlfriend told police that they had drank two or three espresso martinis at his house three or four hours earlier.
Swenson failed a field sobriety test and refused a breathalyzer without a lawyer or his father present. Tests allegedly showed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.154, close to twice the legal limit.
A man who helped Swenson and his girlfriend out of the car told police 'he's lit, bro'.
Police initially didn't know there was another car involved and were more casual and friendly when talking to the teen after being called to the crash.
Swenson's red SUV came to a stop on top of another car at a vacant oil change business, while Alvarez's Toyota SUV was some distance farther up the road.
Swenson explained that he tried to brake at a yellow light but 'I didn't make the light, unfortunately' and collided with another car that was coming through.
Speaking to police he said: 'We were just out on a little joyride and when I was stepping on the brakes it was a little bit too late and... it was a mistake.
'I'm so sorry, I can't believe that this happened, this is genuinely unbelievable.'
Swenson said his father worked at the Illinois Office Of Comptroller Chicago and was battling cancer.
He said: 'He recently was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer so the only reason her and I went out was just because of... recently there was a lot of stress.
'He only has a couple of cycles left and so I just wanted to get away from it all.'
Dashcam footage from a witness allegedly showed the teen's car traveling dangerously fast, and CCTV from a gas station caught it zooming through the red light.
After police saw the footage of the incident and became aware of Alvarez's declining condition, their attitude towards Swenson changed.
Speaking to another officer who hadn't yet seen the footage, one policeman said: 'He's flying past her (the witness), blows through the red light, smokes this guy.'
Swenson said: 'It was an honest mistake, I can't believe that this happened', which caused one officer to lose his cool.
Raising his voice, the officer said: 'I can believe it, I just watched how you were f**king driving.'
Swenson responded by asking the man for his name and badge number, prompting the officer to walk away in disbelief.
Over the course of the incident, Swenson asked several times for names and badge numbers of the officers involved, or if they would at least be included in the report.
Swenson was arrested after failing the field sobriety test and refusing to be breathalyzed and was then put in the back of a police car.
He was later charged with reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence and, driving under the influence causing death.
Swenson was released on bail but banned from driving or drinking alcohol, and ordered to stay home in Palos Heights from 6pm to 6am every day.
He must submit to random alcohol and drug testing, and even if he was later allowed to drive, the vehicle must have a breath alcohol ignition interlock device.
Swenson's lawyer told the court that the teen studied at at Moraine Valley Community College.
Speaking directly to the teen, Judge Linzie Jones said: 'Mr Swenson, this is your wake-up call.'
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