A Prospect Heights woman was found not guilty at trial on Wednesday on charges that she left the scene of a personal injury crash that killed a 22-year-old Lake Forest College student near Vernon Hills in October of 2021.
Amanda Cisneros-Elacio, 20, of the 800 block of East Old Willow Road, was found not guilty during a three-day bench trial that ended Wednesday, court records show.
“We are deeply disappointed with the court’s ruling, but we respect the court process and the judge’s attention during this bench trial,” said Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Director of Communications Sara Avalos. “ We will continue to support the family during this difficult time, and our victim service professionals have been fantastic.”
Cisneros-Elacio was accused of driving a 2014 Audi Q5 when it struck Wojciech Glowik, 22, of Glenview, on Oct. 9, 2021, authorities said.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said at the time that deputies responded to a call of a person down in the 200 block of Route 45 in Indian Creek around 2:10 a.m. on October 9.
Deputies arrived to find Glowik unconscious after he had been struck by a vehicle near Route 45 and Evergreen Drive.
The Countryside Fire Protection District transported Glowik by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he later died.
An autopsy confirmed Glowik died from multiple blunt force injuries, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
Glowik was taken off a ventilator at Advocate Condell Medical Center and pronounced dead Oct. 11, 2021.
Covelli said the preliminary investigation showed Glowick was walking on or near the roadway when he was struck by the passing Audi as it travelled southeast on Route 45, Covelli said.
The driver of the Audi, later identified as Cisneros-Elacio, did not stop after striking Glowik and continued southeast on Route 45.
Covelli said an “extensive investigation” by sheriff’s crash investigators and sheriff’s detectives confirmed Cisneros-Elacio was responsible for striking Glowik and fleeing from the scene.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, which consisted of dozens of interviews, subpoenaed records, records obtained via search warrant, reviewing video surveillance and more, sheriff’s crash investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Cisneros-Elacio, and a Lake County judge set bond on the warrant at $500,000 for the charge of failure to report a crash causing death.
Cisneros-Elacio was arrested by sheriff’s crash investigators following the warrant at her residence without incident.
Glowik was a senior at Lake Forest College majoring in business finance and working as a cashier in Prospect Heights at Deli 4 You Market.
“No words can describe how much you will be missed, Wojtek. We are devastated to not be able to see your smile again. We miss you and love you,” the company said in a statement following the crash.
A GoFundMe account was started as a memorial fund by Alec Petitpren, who is a family member of Glowik.
“He was an extremely hard-working and driven young man with entrepreneurial career aspirations to one day open a business of his own. He was the most kind young man most people had ever met with nothing negative to say about anyone,” Petitpren said.
Avalos added that the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office takes “failing to report a personal injury accident extremely seriously.”
“In those rare cases when a death is involved, an individual can receive up to 15 years in prison, depending on the facts of the case,” Avalos said. “When a driver hits an individual, basic decency and Illinois law require you to stop and assist your fellow human being.”