A Wisconsin man has been charged with driving under the influence and fleeing the scene after a motorcycle crashed into his car and the rider was left with severe injuries near Antioch.
Eric P. Simo, 30, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in personal injury.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Antioch Fire Department responded around 1:45 a.m. on July 28, 2019, to Grass Lake Road and Hillside Avenue in unincorporated Antioch for a crash involving a motorcycle.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said at the time that a 2000 Harley Davidson XL1200S, driven by a then 30-year-old Fox Lake woman, was traveling westbound on Grass Lake Road just east of Hillside Avenue.
A 2014 Chrysler 200, driven by Simo, who lived in Antioch at the time, was traveling eastbound on Grass Lake Road.
The driver of the Harley Davidson crossed the double-yellow line for unknown reasons and struck the eastbound Chrysler.
Simo fled from the scene following the crash, Covelli said.
The motorcyclist had suffered critical injuries and was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Simo fled to a restaurant in the 25400 block of West Bluff Lane in unincorporated Antioch and reported his vehicle stolen, Covelli said.
Simo eventually admitted that he was the one driving at the time of the crash and the car had not been stolen.
Simo was transported to an area hospital for toxicology testing.
Covelli said in an update to Lake and McHenry County Scanner on Monday that the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit conducted a thorough investigation into the incident.
It was determined that Simo was driving under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time of the crash.
Investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Simo in October 2021 and a judge set bond at $250,000.
Someone posted 10% of Simo’s bond at the Kenosha County, Wisconsin Sheriff’s Office on January 23 and he was released.
Simo appeared in Lake County Circuit Court with his attorney on Monday and a judge imposed bond conditions.