MLK crash: Fairview man with two DUI convictions is charged again

A Fairview Heights man has been charged with felony driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed into a median on the Martin Luther King Bridge, then drove to Caseyville with a tire missing.

Jerry D. Ratay, 60, of the 9100 block of Forest Drive, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, a Class 4 felony. According to court records, Ratay has two previous DUI convictions.

According to police reports, Ratay struck a median on the Martin Luther King Bridge over the Mississippi River about 1 a.m. Monday. About 20 minutes later, a Caseyville officer spotted Ratay driving on a rim with no tire in the 8800 block of Bunkum Road.

As of Thursday morning, Ratay was in the St. Clair County Jail on $50,000 bail.

This story was originally published June 4, 2015 at 7:39 AM with the headline "MLK crash: Fairview man with two DUI convictions is charged again."