Round Lake Beach man charged with murder in crash

A Round Lake Beach man has been charged with first degree murder after police say he caused a crash that killed a Woodstock woman earlier this month.

Luis E. Ramirez, 22, of the 1500 block of Hickory Street in Round Lake Beach, has been charged with first degree murder and reckless homicide for the crash that killed Sonia Hume, 22, of Woodstock at 7:17 a.m. on Aug. 5.

Ramirez was traveling west on Tryon Grove Road in a 1997 Ford Expedition approaching Barnard Mill Road in unincorporated McHenry County when he veered into the eastbound lane to pass two vehicles, McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren said.

Ramirez hit Hume's 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander head-on, Nygren said, killing the Woodstock woman.

Both Ramirez and Hume were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, officials said. Ramirez was taken to Centegra Hospital — McHenry, but was released.

Nygren said information obtained during the investigation by the McHenry County Traffic Crash Investigation Unit determined Ramirez intentionally hit Hume.

“During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the crash was not an accident, it was an intentional act committed by Luis E. Ramirez,” Nygren said in a news release.

Ramirez is being held in the McHenry County jail in lieu of $1 million bond.