A Beach Park man has been sentenced to four months in jail after he pleaded guilty to reckless homicide for speeding and causing a crash that killed an 18-year-old man in Zion.
The incident happened around 3:49 a.m. on April 4, 2022, in the area of 9th Street and Lorelei Drive in Zion.
The Zion Fire and Rescue Department and Zion Police Department responded to the location after receiving a call for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Officers discovered a single-vehicle crash with multiple injuries on 9th Street near the intersection, according to police officials.
Police officials said at the time that the vehicle left the roadway, went into a ditch and struck a utility pole.
One of the passengers, an 18-year-old man from Zion, was later pronounced dead at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
The victim was later identified by the Lake County Coroner’s Office as Jadyn R. Pagan.
He died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy confirmed.
The driver was identified as Marco J. Pena, 22, of Beach Park.
Pena, along with the passengers, were evaluated by paramedics and some were transported to the hospital, police officials said. Their injuries were non-life-threatening.
Tyler Pagan said Jadyn Pagan was his older brother. “He was my only brother and I loved him to death.”
“He was my best friend. If I could take his place I would, but I can’t,” Tyler Pagan said at the time of the incident.
Court records show Pena was charged almost two years after the incident with one count of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony.
A grand jury indictment said Pena acted in a reckless manner when he drove above the posted speed limit and failed to reduce his speed prior to driving off the roadway and striking the utility pole, resulting in Pagan’s death.
Pena was arraigned on the charge in February 2024 and initially pleaded not guilty. He was released on pre-trial conditions after the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office did not seek his detention pending trial.
Court records show Pena entered into a negotiated plea deal with the state’s attorney’s office last week.
He pleaded guilty to the charge against him in exchange for a 120-day jail sentence, 240 hours of public service and 30 months of probation.
Pena was ordered not to consume illegal drugs, cannabis or alcohol and be subject to random testing.