A man has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs and causing a head-on crash that left a 5-year-old boy and his father dead and several others injured in Round Lake Beach.
Adam Peregrin, 41, of Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, was charged with two counts of reckless homicide, six counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing a fatal crash and nine counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing an injury crash.
A grand jury returned the 17-count indictment against Peregrin on Wednesday, court records show.
The charges stem from a serious crash that occurred at Route 83 and Lexington Drive in Round Lake Beach on January 25, 2022.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli told Lake and McHenry County Scanner at the time that a sheriff’s deputy on patrol happened to come upon the scene immediately following the crash.
Covelli said the deputy found a child with major injuries. The child was unconscious and not breathing.
The deputy performed CPR on the child until paramedics with the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District arrived and took over care.
Officers arrived to find a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado involved in the intersection. Both vehicles had heavy damage.
The injured child, identified as Jesus Camarena, 5, of Round Lake, was in critical condition and transported to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
He died on February 7, 2022, in the hospital from his multiple injuries, the medical examiner said.
Epifanio Camarena, 41, of Round Lake, was driving the Equinox and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Camarena’s wife and children were among those hospitalized at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
A 10-year-old child and a 12-year-old child were both treated at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and released.
A 14-year-old child was released from the hospital on the night of the crash.
The driver of the Silverado, identified as Peregrin, was released from Advocate Condell Medical Center after being treated.
Round Lake Beach Deputy Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said on Thursday that an extensive investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the crash.
The investigation was conducted with the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, the University of Illinois Chicago Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory and the Lake County States Attorney’s Office.
The investigation included interviews with vehicle occupants and witnesses, reviewing video evidence, in-depth inspections of both vehicles and the collection of data and evidence through search warrants and subpoenas, Rodriguez said.
The investigation determined that Peregrin crossed the center line on Route 83 and struck the Equinox head-on as it was traveling in the opposite direction.
Peregrin was driving under the influence of a controlled substance, Rodriguez said.
Prosecutors in court Thursday said that Peregrin had fentanyl and heroin in his system and showed signs of impairment at the scene.
Peregrin was taken into custody Thursday and ordered held on a $1 million bond.
He remains held in the Lake County Jail and would need to post $100,000 cash in order to be released.