Overview
- Prosecutors say Juan Ruiz Huerta drove the wrong way on the Dan Ryan Expressway during an argument and struck an oncoming car in a high‑speed head‑on crash that killed 28‑year‑old Victory Swanigan.
- Officials say Swanigan was on a FaceTime call as the vehicle weaved through traffic and that the person on the call heard her pleading for help and mentioning her children.
- CTA Red Line surveillance video and a vehicle event data recorder reviewed by investigators reportedly show the car crossing lanes at high speed and no braking in the seconds before impact.
- Cook County prosecutors charged the 29‑year‑old with multiple counts, including first‑degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated battery, and a judge ordered him detained pending trial.
- Prosecutors noted Huerta’s past speeding convictions and a suspended license as context and the case raises public safety and legal questions about intentional wrong‑way driving on busy urban expressways.