Woman charged with fleeing after fatal Elgin crash
After a delay because of her own hospitalization, Michele E. Higareda appeared in Kane County bond court Tuesday on charges related to an accident that killed a 25-year-old Elgin man last week.
Higareda, 48, of the 200 block of Channing Street in Elgin, was charged with failure to report an accident after driving away from the Moseley Street and Walnut Avenue crash, which took place at about 7 p.m. Aug. 17 in Elgin, according to court documents and Elgin police.
The felony charge addresses Higareda’s decision to leave the scene and her failure to report the accident, according to court documents. But Elgin Police Department spokeswoman Sue Olafson said Higareda had the right of way.
“The motorcycle hit her,” Olafson said.
Francisco Acevedo, of the 900 block of Shuler Street in Elgin, was pronounced dead at Provena St. Joseph Hospital shortly after hitting Higareda’s sport utility vehicle with his motorcycle, police said. Eye witness reports led police to Higareda, after which she was taken to Sherman Hospital for her own injuries.
Olafson said Higareda was kept in police custody on outstanding warrants for previous driving offenses. During this particular accident, Higareda did not have a valid license, Olafson said.
Bail was set at $500,000 Tuesday, of which Higareda must pay 10 percent to be released before her next court date, scheduled Aug. 31 in St. Charles.