Buffalo Grove man dies in drag racing incident on Aptakisic Road

A Buffalo Grove man who police say was drag racing on Aptakisic Road on Wednesday was killed when his car struck a utility pole.

The driver of the second vehicle has been charged with drag racing and speeding.

Buffalo Grove police said Daniel A. Cotini, 20, a 2006 graduate of Stevenson High School, was driving a 1999 Honda Prelude eastbound on Aptakisic around 1:15 p.m., drag racing with Marco L. Rosero, 20, of Mount Prospect in a 1994 Pontiac Bonneville.

Cotini lost control of his car about 300 feet east of Prairie Road and struck a utility pole on the north side of the street, police Sgt. Scott Kristiansen said. The car burst into flames after the collision.

"Witnesses attempted to get Cotini out of the car but were unsuccessful due to the flames," Kristiansen said.

An autopsy on Thursday revealed that Cotini, who was alone in the car, died from multiple injuries, particularly to the chest and head. Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said Cotini died instantly from the impact of the crash and the fire took place after his death.

Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said he has made a tentative identification of Cotini but because of his severe burns, performed a dental comparison today as well as an autopsy.

Kristiansen said Cotini and Rosero did not know each other and the drag racing did not appear to stem from road rage.

"At some point while they were driving down Aptakisic Road, both of these drivers made the decision that they were going to race," he said.

Cotini's mother, Lisa Cotini, said the crash happened between her son's house and his job at a Jamba Juice in Lincolnshire. He was not scheduled to work Wednesday but he might have been driving to the store "just to say hi," she said.

Rosero was arrested and charged with one count of drag racing and speeding, but could face additional charges pending an investigation. He posted $100 bond and was expected to be released Wednesday night. He is due in court Aug. 6.

The speed of the cars and whether alcohol was involved is still under investigation by the Buffalo Grove Police Department's traffic unit and the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team.

Cotini was wearing a seat belt, Kristiansen said. He did not know if Rosero was wearing one.

Buffalo Grove and Long Grove fire departments and Lincolnshire police also responded to the scene Wednesday. Aptakisic Road was closed for about four hours due to the crash.

Cotini attended Northern Illinois University for one semester in fall 2006.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>Earlier Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=221423">Aptakisic Road closed after car hits pole <span class="date">[07/16/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>