Teen in Deadly Palos Wreck Off Crutches, Still on Felonies

When Nicholas Puccinelli went to court three months ago on charges he killed a man in a drunken crash, he was bearded, shaggy-haired, dressed in county scrubs and limping around on crutches.

Puccinelli, 19, had healed up enough to lose the crutches for his appearance Wednesday at the Bridgeview courthouse. He also shaved, got a haircut, and donned a black suit and gray paisley tie.

Puccinelli, a college student from Burr Ridge, is free on $250,000 bond. He was arrested in March on aggravated drunken driving charges.

Puccinelli was taken into custody at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after an early-morning crash on LaGrange Road near 105th Street in Palos Township. Puccinelli was heading south on LaGrange when he drove his 2002 GMC Denali into the northbound lane and crashed into a 2002 Nissan Sentra, police said.

Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Amari Dawson said at a prior hearing that the impact sent the Sentra through a guard rail. The driver of the Sentra, John Anagnopoulos, 64, of Orland Park, also was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center. Anagnopoulos died there.

Tests performed on Puccinelli at the hospital showed his blood-alcohol level was at .215 percent, more than two-and-a-half times the legal limit for driving, Dawson said at the earlier hearing. Puccinelli also tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates and other drugs, she said.

In a statement to police, Puccinelli acknowledged drinking and ingesting both marijuana and Xanax, Dawson said.

During the hearing Wednesday, Puccinelli's attorney, Chris Cronson, told Judge John Joseph Hynes he has received some discovery evidence from prosecutors but is waiting on more. Hynes set a July status date for the case.

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