A 17-year-old girl has been charged as an adult after authorities say she ran over a man who fell off the hood of her car, critically injuring him in Beach Park, and then led police on a chase.
A Lake County sheriff’s deputy was on patrol around 1:30 a.m. March 20 in the 37800 block of North Sheridan Road in Beach Park.
The deputy saw two vehicles, one of them being a 2004 Toyota Camry, leaving a business at a high rate of speed, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
The deputy also saw a man, later determined to be a 19-year-old from Waukegan, on the hood of the Toyota.
The man was waving at the deputy for assistance, Covelli said.
The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Toyota but the driver, Liliana Wagner, 17, of Winthrop Harbor, fled.
As the deputy pursued the Toyota, the driver of the second vehicle passed the deputy and pulled alongside the Toyota, Covelli said.
Wagner swerved the Toyota and abruptly stopped, causing the victim to fall off the hood of the vehicle.
Wagner ran the victim over before fleeing again, Covelli said.
The victim was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical, life-threatening injuries.
The deputy stayed on the scene and rendered aid to the victim.
The driver of the second vehicle followed the Toyota and called 911 to give updates to dispatchers on the Toyota’s location.
A sheriff’s deputy located the Toyota traveling southbound on Interstate 94 and initiated a pursuit.
The deputy was joined by a sheriffโs sergeant and Illinois State Police Troopers.
One of the sheriffโs deputies was able to deploy stop sticks, which successfully deflated the tires on the Toyota.
Wagner’s vehicle came to a stop on Interstate 294 at mile marker 41.75 near Rosemont.
Wagner and two passengers were taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Sheriffโs Office Criminal Investigations Division.
A preliminary investigation showed Wagner was involved in a minor traffic crash at the business she was originally at, Covelli said.
The victim attempted to intervene following the crash.
“It was during this intervention that the victim had no choice but to jump on the hood of the car, to avoid being struck at that time by the Toyota,” Covelli said.
The victim continues to recover while undergoing intensive rehabilitation treatments, Covelli said in an update Thursday.
A thorough investigation has since been completed by the Lake County Sheriffโs Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.
Wagner has been charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and aggravated fleeing to elude, which are all felonies.
Wagner, who was charged as an adult, surrendered herself to the Lake County Sheriffโs Office on Wednesday.
She appeared in court and a judge set her bond at $250,000. Wagner remains in custody.