Plainfield truck driver charged with driving under influence of cocaine

A truck driver is facing felony charges about five months after his arrest in Joliet where he admitted to an officer to consuming opium and later tested positive for cocaine, police said.

On Dec. 9, Will County prosecutors charged Angel Mendez, 34, of Plainfield, with two charges for the offense of operation of a commercial vehicle while using or under the influence of drugs.

The charges stem from a July 7 incident in the 100 block of Andrew Taras Court in Joliet.

At 12:24 a.m. on that day, officers responded to a report of a driver of a parked semi-truck who appeared to be intoxicated and vomiting, according to Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English.

Officers arrived and found an unoccupied Volvo semi-truck and trailer stopped in the middle of the road, English said.

Mendez, the driver, was laying in the nearby grass, English said.

Mendez told the officers he parked the truck and laid in the grass after he became tired, he said.

“Mendez showed signs of impairment and indicated to officers that he had ingested opium prior to driving,” English said.

Mendez performed poorly on field sobriety tests and he was arrested, English said.

Through a later investigation, the results of a blood sample provided by Mendez after his arrest showed he had cocaine in his system during the July 7 incident, English said.

Mendez was charged with driving under the influence and the offense of illegal stopping, standing or parking where prohibited.

On Dec. 9, prosecutors motioned to drop the charges in response to the new felony charges that were filed the same day.