Woodridge man charged with leaving scene of Burr Ridge crash that killed teen
A Woodridge man has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash that killed a 16-year-old boy Saturday night in Burr Ridge.
Marvin Mejia, 18, of the 1300 block of Tower Hill Drive, is accused of hitting Alex L. Hunt, who was walking east across Route 83 at Central Avenue. Mejia was driving south and had a green light.
According to DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney Louisa Nuckolls, Hunt's body was found about 150 feet south of the intersection.
Witnesses said they did not know if it was dragged there by a vehicle or if it had been thrown by the impact, Nuckolls told Judge Michael Reidy at a bail hearing Thursday morning.
Hunt died at Aurora Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.
Police found debris at the scene, including a fender and an exterior mirror, that they determined came from a 2017 Jeep, Nuckolls said.
Nuckolls said that a friend of Mejia's called the police. The tipster did not name Mejia but told police where the Jeep was parked in a lot at Northern Illinois University. NIU police found the vehicle and determined it belonged to Mejia, who is a student at there.
Burr Ridge police interviewed Mejia's dormitory roommates, who told them Mejia had asked them to search for "Burr Ridge news."
Authorities said Mejia also told them a vehicle in front of him had swerved; that he thought he hit a deer; and that he kept going because he was scared.
The roommates also said he told them he was going to turn himself in.
Mejia's attorney told Reidy that Mejia contacted him within a few hours after the crash.
Burr Ridge police had previously said they were looking for at least two vehicles in connection with the crash.
On Thursday, they declined to say whether they are still seeking other vehicles, or if they believe Hunt was hit by more than one vehicle.
Reidy set Mejia's bail at $50,000. He would need to post $5,000 to be freed pretrial.
The judge also banned Mejia from driving until further notice.