Police, firefighters and paramedics from Palatine responded about 10:00 p.m., Friday, July 11, 2025 to a report of a multi-vehicle crash near Dundee Road and Kennedy Road (just west of Route 53) that resulted in multiple injuries.
Upon arrival, police officers, firefighters and paramedics located multiple severely damaged vehicles, including a black Lexus that had collided head-on with a black Nissan. A 23-year-old female passenger from the Nissan, along with her two children — a 7-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl — were transported to area hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. One of the patients was transported to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.
Four ambulances were assigned to the crash, and the incident was upgraded to an entrapment response because at least one victim was reported to be under a vehicle. The patient was extricated by 10:20 p.m.
A rescue ambulance crew from Arlington Heights Fire Department assisted Palatine firefighters and paramedics.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the driver of the Lexus, Rosalba Ramirez-Fraga, 31, of the 200 block of North Coach Road in Wheeling, was traveling northbound on North Frontage Road when she rear-ended a gray Toyota. Ramirez-Fraga then continued into the westbound lanes of Dundee Road while driving eastbound, where she struck the Nissan head-on.
Officers observed signs of impairment with the driver of the Lexus, and Ramirez-Fraga admitted to consuming alcohol prior to the crash. Several open containers of alcohol were also recovered from her vehicle.
Ramirez-Fraga was arrested and charged with the following offenses:
Aggravated DUI (Alcohol) – Great Bodily Harm (Class 4 Felony)
Aggravated DUI (Alcohol) – No Valid Insurance (Class 4 Felony)
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (Class A Misdemeanor)
No Valid Driver’s License (Class B Misdemeanor)
Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid a Collision (Petty Offense)
Illegal Transportation of Open Alcohol – Driver (Petty Offense)
There was additional court business and there were other petty offenses related to the traffic crashes, according to the Palatine Police Department.
Ramirez-Fraga appeared in court on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 and was ordered to remain in custody until her next court date, scheduled for August 8, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Room 108 of the Cook County 3rd District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows.
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