Following a thorough investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit, the driver of a Toyota Camry involved in a personal injury hit-and-run pedestrian incident on March 20, 2023 in Beach Park was charged with several felonies.
After reviewing the facts and circumstances of the incident, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the following charges for Liliana Wagner, 17, of Winthrop Harbor:
Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident (Class 2 Felony)
Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol (Class 4 Felony)
Aggravated Fleeing to Elude (Class 4 Felony)
Wagner, who was charged as an adult, surrendered herself to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, and appeared at a bond hearing. Following the hearing, a Lake County Judge set her bond at $250,000.00. Wagner currently remains in custody.
The victim continues to recover while undergoing intensive rehabilitation treatments.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
— Lake County Sheriff’s Office
A Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy was on patrol in the 37800 block of North Sheridan Road, Beach Park about 1:30 a.m. on Monday, March 20, 2023, when two vehicles were observed leaving a business at a high rate of speed. One of the vehicles was a 2004 Toyota Camry. The deputy also saw a man (later determined to be a 19-year-old of Waukegan) on the hood of the Toyota. The man was waving at the deputy for assistance.
The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Toyota; however, the driver, who was later determined to be a 17-year-old female (Liliana Wagner) of Winthrop Harbor, fled from the deputy. As the deputy pursued the Toyota, the driver of the second vehicle passed the deputy and pulled alongside the Toyota. The driver of the Toyota swerved and abruptly stopped, causing the victim to fall off the hood of the vehicle. The driver of the Toyota (Liliana Wagner) then ran the victim over, before again fleeing to commit a second hit-and-run.
The man was run over at about 1:36 a.m. Monday in the block 38000 North North Avenue in Beach Park. Paramedics from Beach Park Fire Department transported a patient to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical, life-threatening injuries.
The deputy stayed on scene and rendered aid to the victim. The driver of the second vehicle followed the Toyota, and called in to Lake County sheriff’s telecommunicators to update the location of the Toyota. A deputy located the Toyota traveling southbound on I-94 and initiated a pursuit. The deputy was joined by a sheriff’s sergeant and Illinois State Police troopers.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies and Illinois State Police were in pursuit of the alleged hit-and-run driver (Liliana Wagner) southbound on I-94 EAST and southbound on I294 EAST beginning just before 2:00 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2023.
One of the sheriff’s deputies was able to drive ahead of the Toyota and deploy Stop Sticks, a tire deflation device, which successfully deflated the tires on the Toyota. The driver of the Toyota (Liliana Wagner) came to a stop at mile marker 41.75 near Rosemont.
The driver and vehicle, a silver Toyota, were stopped at about 2:10 a.m. at Mile Marker 41.75 on I-294 just south of Touhy Avenue near Des Plaines.
The driver (Liliana Wagner) and two passengers were taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division, where they currently remain.
Preliminary investigation shows the driver of the Toyota (Liliana Wagner) was involved in a minor traffic crash in the business before she attempted to flee. The victim attempted to intervene following the crash. During his intervention, the victim had no choice but to jump on the hood of the Toyota, to avoid being struck by the Toyota driven by the female.
The incident remains under investigation by sheriff’s detectives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.
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