Wrigleyville man gets probation for beating cab driver in road rage incident

John Danuk | CPD

A Wrigleyville man who allegedly beat a cab driver in a West Loop road rage incident two years ago has been sentenced to 30 months probation.

John Danuk, 22, became enraged at the 52-year-old cabbie in the 500 block of West Adams on the afternoon of April 17, 2018, prosecutors said. Danuk jumped out of his car, spit in the victim’s face, and repeatedly punched the cabbie in the head as he sat behind the wheel of his taxi, according to allegations made in court.

A witness reportedly gave police descriptions of the man who struck the cab driver. They also provided investigators with a description and license plate number of the car the attacker used to leave the scene. Police used that information to locate Danuk at his home on the 1000 block of West Byron.

The cab driver, who lives in Bolingbrook, received “numerous stitches” over his right eye at Stroger Hospital, according to police. He identified Danuk in a photo line-up, police said.

Danuk pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery of a taxi driver in a deal with prosecutors. Three additional felony counts were dropped. Judge William T. O’Brien oversaw the case.

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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com