On a late Saturday night in North Chicago, a 26-year-old woman was struck by a car and left lying in the roadway as the driver took off, according to Lake and McHenry County Scanner. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, and the westbound lanes of Buckley Road at Green Bay Road were shut down for hours while investigators worked the scene.
What Investigators Say Happened
North Chicago police, the North Chicago Fire Department, and crews from nearby departments responded around 11:30 p.m. to reports of a crash at Buckley Road and Green Bay Road. Officers arrived to find a 26-year-old woman in the roadway with severe injuries, Lake and McHenry County Scanner reports.
Paramedics took her to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was listed in critical condition. Witnesses told officers they saw a Volkswagen sedan speeding away from the crash, and police later found a Volkswagen Jetta that matched the description.
Car Traced to Greenbelt Forest Preserve
Park City police found the Jetta at the entrance to the Greenbelt Forest Preserve, across from the Greenbelt Cultural Center, which lists its address as 1215 Green Bay Road inside Greenbelt Forest Preserve, according to the Lake County Forest Preserves.
The victim had been taken to Advocate Condell, which serves as Lake County’s Level I trauma center and runs a full emergency department, per Advocate Condell.
Evidence Work, Scene Details, and Vehicle Damage
Lake County’s Major Crash Assistance Team processed evidence at both the Buckley Road crash site and the forest preserve entrance after officers documented damage to the Jetta’s driver’s side windshield and hood that was consistent with hitting a pedestrian, Lake and McHenry County Scanner reports.
According to that report, the driver admitted leaving the scene. Ernie’s Wrecker Service towed the Volkswagen away, and the westbound lanes of Buckley Road remained closed for roughly three hours while investigators documented the area.
On the roadway, officers noted a pair of shoes and a cup left behind. The Lake County Sheriff’s Auxiliary assisted with traffic control as crews worked into the night.
What the Law Says and Possible Charges
Illinois law requires that any driver involved in a crash causing personal injury stop, stay at the scene, and provide identifying information, under the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-401) as published on Justia. Leaving the scene of such a crash can result in criminal charges.
Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence collected by North Chicago police and the Major Crash Assistance Team as they decide whether to file charges. Officials have not released additional information about the driver, and it remains unclear what charges, if any, will ultimately be brought. The crash is still under investigation by the North Chicago Police Department and Lake County’s MCAT.
