A man has been charged with a felony after a deadly hit-and-run incident in Morton Grove that resulted in the death of a 74-year-old pedestrian in June, authorities said. William Barkho, from Niles, faces charges for leaving the scene of an accident involving death, following the incident which claimed the life of Jonathan Friedman, CBS News reported.
The collision occurred early in the morning, around 7:30 a.m., on Beckwith Road near Neenah Avenue. According to police and prosecutors, Barkho was behind the wheel of a tan Chevrolet Equinox when he struck Friedman. After the crash, Barkho purportedly fled the scene, leaving his vehicle a few blocks away, and then went to a nearby Walgreens to call a family member for a ride, the Cook County prosecutors detailed. Despite efforts to save his life, Friedman died at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital not long after the incident.
A Ring doorbell camera captured Barkho's car speeding away from the crash site, and remarkably, the car's emblem was found at the scene, aiding police in tracking down Barkho's abandoned vehicle and ultimately locating Barkho at his father's house. ABC7 Chicago informs that, after being taken into custody, Barkho appeared at the Skokie courthouse for an arraignment on August 13, where he pleaded not guilty.
On July 30, Barkho was indicted by a Cook County grand jury, and during a subsequent court appearance, a judge decided Barkho could remain free while awaiting trial, with the contingency that he does not operate a vehicle during this period. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 22, both sources confirm. In the aftermath of this tragic and untimely death, the Morton Grove community waits for justice to unfold in the courts as the legal process against Barkho continues to move forward.
