State police release 911 tapes reporting Edens wrong-way driver

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Updated: January 18, 2012 8:08AM

A driver who traveled the wrong way on the Edens Expy. for 11 miles Thursday apologized for drinking and driving and “said it was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever done.”

Meanwhile, the Illinois State Police District Chicago released tapes of the 911 calls which it received from at least nine people reporting the harrowing experience.

About 2:30 a.m. Thursday, police started receiving numerous calls of a wrong way driver on the northbound lanes of I-94 near Elston. Callers described an SUV traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of the Edens, and cited multiple locations along Peterson, Touhy, Lake Street, Dempster and Willow.

One of the callers described a driver traveling “a million miles an hour giving me goose pimples — he would have killed me.” Another offered to follow the driver for police and asked the police “to hurry.”

Several callers reported they were nearly sideswiped by other drivers.

State Police officials say that without motorists’ calls, the situation “could have resulted in multiple tragedies.”

The driver, Sergio Galvez-Delira. 24, of Glenview, was pulled over in a black 2001 Mitsubishi SUV by Glencoe police at Tower Road. He was charged with DUI and reckless driving, and cited for having open alcohol.

He told WBBM Channel 2 news Friday that in addition to drinking, he was on anti-depressants.

“It was like one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever done. There is nothing I can do [to] take it back, only apologize and say I’m sorry,” he said.