Following a thorough investigation by Lake County Sheriff’s Traffic Crash Investigators, they  determined the driver of the Nissan Altima, Juan C. Aguiar, 37, of the 1100 block of Mary Jane Lane, Waukegan, was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs during the crash.  The crash killed a 23-year-old passenger in the vehicle.  

On January 21, 2020, crash investigators met with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office to review the facts and evidence collected during the investigation.  The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved felony charges and drafted an arrest warrant for Aguiar for the following charges:

Two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol (class 2 felonies)

Aggravated driving under the influence of drugs (cocaine) (class 2 felony)

Aggravated driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs (class 2 felony)

Crash investigators then appeared in court where a Judge approved and signed the arrest warrant, setting bond at $750,000.00.

Aguiar was arrested without incident at his residence in the evening on January 21, 2020.  He remains held in the Lake County Jail pending an initial court hearing.  

All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.  

Fatal Beach Park Traffic Crash (issued 5/12/19)

On May 12, 2019, at approximately 2:30AM, Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the area of Green Bay Road and Kenosha Road, Beach Park, for a traffic crash with injuries.  When Sheriff’s Deputies arrived, they found a red 2014 Nissan Altima had been involved in a single-vehicle crash and there was major damage to the vehicle.  The Altima also struck the Benton Township Assessor’s Office Building (40020 N Green Bay Road).

Preliminary investigation shows the driver of the Nissan, a 36-year-old male of Chicago, was traveling southwest on Kenosha Road.  As the driver approached Green Bay Road (controlled by a stop sign), the driver didn’t stop, crossed Green Bay Road, struck an embankment, and then struck the Benton Township Assessor’s Office.  

The driver of the vehicle was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, via Flight for Life Helicopter, with critical life-threatening injuries.  The front-seat passenger, a 23-year-old male of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, was transported to Vista East Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.  The back-seat passenger, a 23-year-old male (home address undetermined at this time), was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and is scheduling an autopsy for the back-seat passenger.  

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.