SAUGET, Ill. — The deputy mayor of Cahokia Heights was arrested and charged with DUI after a crash in Sauget, Illinois State Police said.
ISP said 42-year-old DeMario Helm was charged with Driving Under the Influence.
ISP said the crash happened at about 4:15 a.m. on Mousette Lane at Sauget Business Boulevard, down the street from the Gateway Grizzlies Ballpark. Police said Helm was the only person inside the car at the time of the crash.
Both ISP and the Sauget Police Department responded to the single-vehicle crash.
When rescue crews arrived, the car was engulfed in flames.
According to Sauget Police Chief James Jones, Helm ran off the road and hit a guardrail. He said the car, a city-issued 2021 GMC SUV, caught on fire. The vehicle was totaled.
According to the city's website, Helm serves as the deputy mayor and "advises the Mayor and provides extensive professional assistance and recommendations on City issues to the Mayor and Department Heads."
5 On Your Side reached out to the Cahokia Heights mayor's office for a comment but did not receive a response as of Monday evening. The doors were locked when 5 On Your Side went to City Hall multiple times on Monday.
