S. Elgin man pleads not guilty in Lisle road rage case

A South Elgin man pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm from a March road rage incident.

Vaughn Atkins, 42, of 1409 S. Blackhawk Circle, is free on $20,000 bond after being accused of opening fire on another driver during a traffic altercation near Lisle.

Prosecutors said the victim, Michael Ingram, was traveling south at about 5:45 p.m. March 21, on I-355 just north of Ogden Avenue when he switched lanes and cut off Atkins, forcing his vehicle to the shoulder.

Atkins then pulled his vehicle alongside the driver's side of Ingram's vehicle, told his wife to lean back in her seat, pointed a handgun at Ingram and pulled the trigger, hitting Ingram's vehicle in the driver's side rear passenger door before speeding away, prosecutors said.

Atkins was arrested March 24 at his South Elgin home.

“I can't begin to imagine the damage that could have been done had a bullet allegedly fired by Mr. Atkins hit the driver of another vehicle during rush-hour traffic on a major expressway,” DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin previously said in a written statement. “Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident.”

Atkins' next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 1 before Judge Kathryn Creswell.