Motorcycle passenger injured in crash near Antioch dies; Charges could be upgraded

A Lindenhurst woman injured in an Aug. 31 motorcycle crash near Antioch has died, authorities said Thursday.

Mechelle Hall, 48, suffered fatal blunt force injuries in the crash and died Wednesday morning at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Authorities said Hall was a passenger aboard a motorcycle that crashed at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Route 59 and Deimer Street. She was found unconscious and unresponsive on the roadway and flown by helicopter to Condell with life-threatening injuries, officials said.

The driver of the motorcycle, Gregory Shaer, 51, of the 25000 block of West Blackstone near Lake Villa, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence, a felony; driving under the influence of alcohol; and driving in the wrong lane of traffic, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

He initially told deputies he lost control of the motorcycle while swerving to avoid a vehicle that had turned in front of him. Officials said deputies later spoke with another driver who reported the motorcycle had swerved into her lane of traffic and sideswiped her SUV. Evidence at the scene was consistent with that account, authorities said.

Shaer was not seriously injured, officials said. After he refused to provide breath, blood or a urine sample for analysis, a judge approved a search warrant to obtain samples, sheriff’s police said.

He remains in custody in Lake County jail. Investigators will be meeting with the Lake County state’s attorney’s office to potentially upgrade charges in the wake of Hall’s death, authorities said.