The sheriff has announced charges against a driver accused of fatally hitting an 18-year-old female bicyclist and fleeing the scene, resulting in her being run over by a second car in Wadsworth.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Newport Fire Protection District responded around 11:45 p.m. on September 6 to the area of Dilleys Road just south of Wadsworth Road in Wadsworth.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said deputies responding to calls of a “person down” found an adult female dead lying in the roadway.
The woman, later identified as Tiana Smith, 18, of Zion, suffered significant trauma consistent with being struck by a vehicle, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
Sheriff’s crash investigators believe Smith was riding a bicycle northbound on Dilleys Road when she was struck from behind by a northbound GMC SUV, Covelli said.
The driver of the GMC was identified Friday as Alex Landa, 33, of Winthrop Harbor.
Smith was thrown from the bicycle when struck and her bicycle became lodged under Landa’s SUV as he fled from the scene, Covelli said.
Covelli said the woman was then run over by a southbound Hyundai Elantra, driven by a 23-year-old Waukegan man.
The driver of the Hyundai remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.
A witness told investigators they saw the GMC SUV dragging a bicycle eastbound on Wadsworth Road, Covelli said. The bicycle was later recovered.
The vehicle was identified and located parked at a residence in Winthrop Harbor.
The vehicle had damage consistent with being involved in the hit-and-run crash.
Covelli said the vehicle was seized and crash investigators identified the driver as Landa, who was driving under the influence at the time.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team recently concluded its investigation into the incident.
A Lake County grand jury was presented with testimony on the evidence gathered during the investigation on Wednesday.
The jury indicted Landa on one count of failure to report a crash involving death, a Class 1 felony, and one count of aggravated driving under the influence causing death, a Class 2 felony.
“No family should have to endure such a tragedy, and we hope these charges bring them the first measure of justice. I commend our crash investigations team for their tireless efforts in ensuring the driver was held accountable,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“Their dedication to uncovering the truth and seeking justice for victims is a testament to their professionalism and commitment to our community’s safety,” Idleburg said.
A Lake County judge signed an arrest warrant for Landa following the indictment. He is not in custody yet.