Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies and Wauconda firefighter/paramedics responded about 5:55 p.m. Monday December 23, 2019 to Route 12 and Volo Village Road in Volo for a traffic crash with injuries. When deputies and firefighter/paramedics arrived, they discovered three vehicles with heavy damage.
The driver of a Mazda convertible was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Toyota was transported to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Condell Medical Center with serious injuries. The driver of the Subaru was uninjured.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and an autopsy is scheduled on Thursday, December 26, 2019.
Preliminary investigation indicates that a 1995 Mazda convertible, driven by an 82-year-old male of Lake Zurich, was traveling southbound on Route 12 approaching Volo Village Road. For an unknown reason the driver of the Mazda crossed into the northbound lanes of traffic. The Mazda struck a northbound 2005 Toyota sedan, driven by a 20-year-old male of Lake in the Hills.
The first crash caused the Toyota to rotate into the path of a southbound 2008 Subaru SUV, driven by a 27-year-old male of McHenry. The Subaru struck the Toyota.
While crash investigators were conducting the investigation, a Sheriff’s Auxiliary Deputy was blocking southbound Route 12 at Molidor Road, Volo. There were eight traffic cones, numerous flares, and a marked squad car with its emergency lights activated parked perpendicular across the lanes of traffic to alert motorists that the roadway was closed.
However, at approximately 7:00 p.m, Chris L. Miller, 65, of the 29000 block of North Fairfield Road, unincorporated Mundelein, was driving a 2016 Ford Pickup truck southbound on Route 12. Miller disregarded the flares, traffic cones, and crashed into the squad car. The collision caused the squad car to strike the auxiliary deputy, who was standing outside of the squad. The auxiliary deputy sustained serious leg injuries and was transported to a local hospital via ambulance.
Miller fled in his vehicle southbound from the scene. The Ford became disabled, likely due to its heavy damage, in the area of Route 12 and North Fox Lake Road, Lakemoor. Miller was located, found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, and taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the following charges for Miller:
Aggravated DUI involving an accident with injuries (felony)
Leaving the scene of an accident with injuries (felony)
Operation of a vehicle on approach of an emergency vehicle
causing injuries (Scott’s Law) (felony)
DUI (misdemeanor)
Operating uninsured vehicle
Improper lane usage
Failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident
Failure to report an accident
Failure to give aid following an accident
Miller remains held in the Lake County Jail pending an initial court hearing.
“While I’m thankful our auxiliary deputy wasn’t killed or critically injured, I am very disappointed a drunk driver crashed into a scene we were working to keep secure, and injured one of our personnel. Then, rather than do the right thing and stop to see if the auxiliary deputy was okay, he fled. Driving under the influence is unacceptable to begin with, crashing into an emergency vehicle while intoxicated, then fleeing, is downright inexcusable.”
— Sheriff John Idleburg
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
The initial crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.
^^ MOBILE? USE VOICE MIC ^^
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