Police say a Deer Park teen has been charged with homicide after he was speeding and crashed into another car, which killed an elderly man and left several people injured, on Lake Cook Road in Arlington Heights.
Eric Dobrolinski, 19, of Deer Park, was charged this week with reckless homicide, speeding 35+ mph over the limit, improper lane usage, failure to signal, operating a vehicle with a license cover and improper use of registration or title.
The charges were announced on Wednesday following an 18-month investigation by the Arlington Heights Police Department.
Police said an investigation showed a dark gray BMW M340i, driven by Dobrolinski, was traveling eastbound on Lake Cook Road at a speed higher than the legal limit around 4:30 p.m. on January 25, 2025.
A metallic brown Jeep Grand Cherokee was driving forward from a stop sign on Bloomington Avenue entering Lake Cook Road.
The BMW’s front end struck the Jeep’s driver’s side, resulting in a T-bone-style crash, police said.
The force of the impact caused the Jeep to roll over several times and come to rest in the westbound parkway of Lake Cook Road.
There was significant intrusion into the Jeep’s driver’s side.
The Buffalo Grove Police Department, Buffalo Grove Fire Department, Arlington Heights Fire Department and Arlington Heights Police Department responded to the scene.
Police said paramedics removed the Jeep’s sole occupant, identified as Rafael G. Mercado, 69, of Des Plaines, and immediately began advanced life support treatment.
Mercado suffered multiple traumatic injuries and was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
Mercado later died from his injuries just after 4 a.m. on January 26, 2025, police said.
Dobrolinski and two teenage passengers were evaluated by paramedics but refused transport to the hospital by ambulance.
They were picked up by family and self-transported for a medical evaluation.
A third teenage passenger in the BMW was transported by the Palatine Fire Department to a local hospital for a non-life-threatening injury, police said.
Lake Cook Road was shut down in both directions from east of Route 53 to Wilke Road for several hours while crash reconstruction investigators documented the scene and collected evidence.
The Arlington Heights Police Department said they were assisted in the investigation by the Major Case Assistance Team – Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Specialized Investigative Unit.
The lengthy investigation required numerous legal processes and “countless hours of work” by investigators.
Investigators completed a comprehensive crash reconstruction, which included vehicle data downloads, video analysis, witness interviews, forensic evidence review and other investigative techniques to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The crash reconstruction determined the BMW operated by Dobrolinski was traveling at a speed nearing twice the posted 45 mph speed limit immediately before the collision.
Investigators also identified further evidence indicating the vehicle was being operated in a manner demonstrating a “willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.”
“The investigation required numerous legal processes and countless hours of work by Arlington Heights Police Department Traffic Crash Investigators. Investigators completed a comprehensive crash reconstruction that included vehicle data downloads, video analysis, witness interviews, forensic evidence review, and other investigative techniques to accurately determine the circumstances surrounding the collision and support criminal prosecution,” the police department said Wednesday.
Police officials said they remained “committed to conducting a thorough and impartial investigation after the “tragic death” of Mercado. “The Department continues to pursue accountability through the criminal justice process on behalf of those affected by this incident.”
Dobrolinski appeared at the Third District Cook County Courthouse on Wednesday morning for a detention hearing and a judge granted a petition to detain him pending trial.
He is set to appear in court again on August 14.