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Driver charged in hit-and-run crash that injured two men

A Cook County judge on Tuesday ordered a Memphis, Tennessee man held on $100,000 bond after authorities say he struck a motorcycle carrying two men with his car early Saturday.

The crash occurred about 2:20 a.m. Saturday in the vicinity of Lee Street and the Jane Adams Memorial Tollway in Rosemont, prosecutors said.

Jason Gaston, 35, is charged with failing to report an injury accident and leaving the scene of an injury accident. He also faces misdemeanor DUI charges.

Gaston struck the two men on the expressway ramp, said Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Brogan. After a bystander said that one of the motorcyclists appeared to be dead, Gaston left the scene, Brogan said.

Illinois State Police traced a cellphone to Gaston's fiancee, who told authorities he took the car and did not return to the Rosemont hotel where they had been staying, Brogan said.

Meeting with Gaston at the hotel, the trooper detected an odor of alcohol, Brogan said. Results of blood and urine tests are not yet available, she added.

The motorcycle's driver, an Elk Grove Village man, suffered a broken pelvis and internal bleeding, Brogan said. Listed in critical condition, he remains in a coma, she added.

His passenger, also from Elk Grove, suffered a fractured right leg that required surgery, said Brogan, who was unsure if the man is still hospitalized.

If convicted of the most serious charge, Gaston could face up to seven years in prison. Probation is also available. He next appears in court on Sept. 15.

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