An unincorporated Cary man has been charged with being intoxicated on cocaine and behind the wheel of an SUV when it hit and killed a 95-year-old man from Palatine who was attempting to repair his broken-down car in Deer Park in January.
Ryan P. Rinda, 30, of the 28900 block of West Park Street in unincorporated Cary, has been charged by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office with two Class 2 felony counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Causing Death, a Class 3 felony count of Reckless Homicide, and two Class 4 felony counts of Aggravated DUI while driving on a revoked license.
The charges come as a result of an investigation into a crash that resulted in the death of Richard A. Krzysztofiak, 95, of Palatine, said Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli.
Covelli said deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:15 p.m. on January 13 to Lake Cook Road and Quentin Road in Deer Park for a motorist assist call regarding a disabled vehicle.
Moments after taking the original call, the sheriff’s office began receiving 911 calls reporting a serious vehicle crash at the same location, prompting the Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department, Palatine Fire Department and Countryside Fire Protection District to respond to the scene.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and discovered two heavily damaged vehicles, a damaged school bus, and Krzysztofiak deceased in the roadway, Covelli said.
The preliminary investigation showed Krzysztofiak’s 2006 Honda Accord had broken down and was disabled in a westbound lane of Lake Cook Road just east of Quentin Road.
Krzysztofiak got out of the Honda, Covelli said, which was in the center lane between the left turn lane and the outside through lane.
Witnesses reported that Krzysztofiak was looking under the engine area of his Honda when a westbound 2024 Honda HR-V, driven by Rinda, struck the Honda Accord from behind.
Krzysztofiak was pronounced dead at the scene, Covelli said.
A passenger in the Honda HR-V, a 30-year-old Arlington Heights woman, was also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Covelli said a 77-year-old Barrington woman was sitting in the passenger seat of the broken-down Honda Accord when it was struck.
She also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital.
A school bus, which was only occupied by the driver, was also waiting to turn left onto southbound Quentin Road from westbound Lake Cook Road when it was sideswiped during the crash.
The driver of the school bus was uninjured, Covelli said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team investigated the crash, Covelli said, and determined Rinda was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the crash.
Based on data, traffic crash investigators also determined Rinda was traveling more than 50 MPH just before striking the stopped Honda Accord, Covelli said.
Covelli said sheriff’s crash investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Rinda on April 24.
He was arrested by members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Warrants Team/SWAT Team on Wednesday morning at his residence.
Court records show Rinda appeared in Lake County First Appearance Court on Wednesday afternoon, where prosecutors from the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed the necessary paperwork to detain Rinda until trial.
He is due to appear in Lake County Detention Court on Thursday afternoon, court records show.