Woodridge man sentenced to 10 years for fatal DUI hit-and-run

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Salil Chandler | DuPage County State's Attorney's Office

WOODRIDGE, Ill. - A Woodridge man was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty but mentally ill in the death of a bicyclist he struck while driving drunk and then fleeing the scene, authorities announced Monday.

Salil Chander, 35, entered his plea to one count of aggravated DUI resulting in the death of another person before DuPage County Judge Joseph Bugos, who issued the sentence.

Chander will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Deadly DUI crash

The backstory:

According to prosecutors, on August 6, 2023, Chander had left his home in a silver Kia and struck a light pole on Nelson Court. He then continued driving westbound on Green Trails Drive, veered into the eastbound lane, and struck 64-year-old Michael Norton of Naperville, who was riding a bicycle.

After hitting Norton, Chander fled the scene but was found less than a half-mile away and taken into custody within seconds of an eyewitness's 911 call.

Authorities later determined Chander’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.222, nearly three times the legal limit.

"With a BAC of nearly three times the legal limit, Mr. Chander had no business behind the wheel of a car," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. "The sad truth is, like all drunk driving fatalities, the tragic death of an innocent person was completely avoidable had Mr. Chander simply not operated a vehicle after he had been drinking

Following his arrest, Chander was initially held on $1 million bond with 10 percent to apply. He was later granted pre-trial release in October 2024 under the Pre-Trial Fairness Act. 

After Monday’s court appearance, Chander was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence immediately.