Coroner’s jury says hit-and-run death an accident

A Michigan man who was struck and killed near Aurora last December had a blood-alcohol concentration of more than twice the legal threshold, according to testimony at an inquest Wednesday.

Robert Vincze was taken to Provena-Mercy Hospital in Aurora after being struck around 4:29 a.m. Dec. 12 while walking along Butterfield Road, just east of Eola Road.

Aurora Police Officer Brad Parkhurst testified at a Kane County Coroner’s inquest that Vincze and a friend had car trouble and were walking along the shoulder on Butterfield, pulling a sled that held a gas can.

Rocio V. Garza, 22, of the 100 block of W. Van Buren Street in Elmhurst is charged with aggravated leaving the scene of a fatal accident and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Aurora police said an anonymous tip led them to Garza, whose next court appearance is Tuesday in Wheaton.

Vincze, a 30-year-old mechanic, was in town to visit his father and friends.

Deputy Coroner Lisa Gilbert said toxicology results show Vincze had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.18.

The coroner’s jury ruled his death as accidental. The jury does not decide guilt or innocence; its charge is to conclude if a death is a suicide, homicide, accidental, from natural causes or is undetermined.