Wood Dale man accused of driving through fatal crash scene in McHenry County is released pretrial

A Wood Dale man accused of driving through a fatal crash scene in McHenry County was released from custody Monday while awaiting trial.

Andrew M. Franklin, 64, is accused of speeding through the fatal crash site while police were investigating and driving his car toward an officer, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court.

Franklin was charged with aggravated assault to a police officer, a class 4 felony, and obstructing a police officer, a class A misdemeanor, court records show.

At an initial court appearance Monday, Franklin was released with conditions, including he must refrain from “direct, intentional contact” with the police officer whom authorities allege Franklin nearly hit with his car.

The complaint alleges around 11:10 p.m. Sept. 27, Franklin drove his vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz, “directly at” the officer who was working the scene of an earlier fatal crash. Franklin disregarded the officer’s orders to stop, causing the officer to move out of the way to avoid being hit, the complaint says.

Court documents do not give a location of the crash site, but about 20 minutes earlier on the same night, Austin Stanek of Island Lake was walking along Roberts Road near Island Lake when he was killed in what authorities said was a hit-and-run crash.

A warrant was issued for Franklin’s arrest earlier in December.

Franklin is due back in court Jan. 28.