Was Limo Driver Drunk When He Drove Kids to Prom?

Reported by Patch editor Charles Menchaca

Many schools and local police make sure students attending prom know not to drink and drive. But what if it's your limo driver that's drunk?

A 54-year-old Palos Hills man was arrested Saturday after he drove over 20 Oswego East High School teens to their prom while intoxicated, police said.

Richard L. Madison, of the 9900 block of Walnut Terrace, Palos Hills, was charged with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of reckless conduct, both class A misdemeanors. Madison was driving a group of 23 Oswego East students to their May 11 prom at the Abbington Banquets in unincorporated Glen Ellyn, according to the DuPage County Sheriff's Office.

The students contracted the private limousine service Limos Alive Party Bus to drive them to the Abbington, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The banquet hall is on the southwest corner of Route 53 and Butterfield Road.

"While (en) route, some of the students became alarmed due to the driver's erratic driving and called their parents to notify them of the situation," the release said.

Two off-duty Oswego police officers providing security at the prom were contacted and notified of what had occurred. They called the Sheriff’s Office to investigate, which led to Madison's arrest.

Madison was taken to the DuPage County Jail Saturday night and was scheduled to appear in bond court. As of Sunday evening, he was no longer listed as an inmate in the county jail.

The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office reminds readers that any charges indicated here are merely accusations, and the listed defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.