The family of a Waukegan teenager who was found dead following a hit-and-run of his motorcycle in Beach Park says the 19-year-old was “taken away too soon” as they laid him to rest on Thursday.
An autopsy performed Monday showed that Adrian Rogel-Villanueva, 19, of Waukegan, died as a result of blunt force injuries from a vehicle crash, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Beach Park Fire Department responded around 5:50 a.m. Sunday to the area of Green Bay Road and Sallmon Avenue in Beach Park for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said a 911 caller reported a motorcycle down and the rider was also down off the roadway.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located the crash with Rogel-Villanueva, who was the driver of the motorcycle, deceased.
The Kawasaki sports bike he was riding had damage consistent with being struck by another vehicle, Covelli said.
No other vehicles were at the scene and investigators are working to identify the vehicle involved and its driver.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and took possession of Rogel-Villanueva.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Technical Crash Investigations Team responded to the scene to conduct an investigation.
Green Bay Road was shut down for approximately two hours on Sunday morning.
The Technical Crash Investigations Team is conducting a criminal investigation into the hit-and-run, Covelli said.
Rogel-Villanueva’s brother, Bryan Rogel, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that his family is seeking help from the community with tips on the suspect in the case.
The victim’s cousin, Guadalupe Osorio, said Rogel-Villanueva was “a light in everyone’s life” and the “smartest person I have ever met.”
“Adrian would always make you laugh or make you smile even if he was the one who was down. He always thought about everyone first and tried his best to make his family happy,” Osorio said.
“Only 19 years old, with so much potential and opportunities ahead of him, that got taken away too soon. He didn’t get the opportunity to experience life as a whole or see what the world had to offer,” Osorio added.
Rogel-Villanueva leaves behind three younger siblings, his parents and a dog. A funeral service was held on Thursday in Waukegan.
“Adrian was a dreamer who always achieved his goals. He was very cheerful, fearless, and above all, a good son, brother, and friend. He was always looking out for others,” his obituary said.
A GoFundMe account to help the family raise money for funeral expenses has collected almost $10,000.
Anyone with information on the incident can call the sheriff’s office at 847-377-4000 or submit a tip online on the sheriff’s office’s website.