Charges upgraded against woman arrested in fatal crash

Charges against a Libertyville woman accused in the crash that killed a motorcyclist were upgraded Wednesday by a Lake County grand jury.

Dana Hoffman, 25, who has already pleaded not guilty to charges of possession of cocaine and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, is now charged with aggravated driving under the influence of drugs and reckless homicide.

Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Patricia Fix said Hoffman, of the 1400 block of Vineyard Lane, faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted.

Fix said Hoffman was at the wheel of a Dodge minivan that was eastbound on Cage Road in Wauconda Township about 10:25 p.m. on July 9.

The van crossed the center line, Fix said, and struck a westbound Harley Davidson being driven by 49-year-old Michael Adcock of McHenry.Adcock died at the scene.

Hoffman was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for blood tests.

She was originally charged with drug possession when police said they found drug paraphernalia in the van that tested positive for cocaine.

Hoffman, who is being held on $250,000 bond, pleaded not guilty on the original charges Aug. 12 during a hearing before Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti.

Fix said the grand jury approved the more serious charges Wednesday after blood tests revealed the presence of heroin and a generic form of the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in her system.

A chemist determined that the levels of either drug found in Hoffman's system would have impaired her driving, Fix said.

Hoffman is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charge Sept. 9 in another hearing before Rossetti.