Driver charged 2 months after fatal crash

A St. Charles teenager has been charged with reckless homicide two months after a crash that killed a South Elgin man on a motorcycle.

Erika N. Scoliere, 18, of 3N935 Emily Dickinson Lane, St. Charles, was charged on a warrant with drunken driving and reckless homicide in the July 13 death of 40-year-old Frank Ferraro of South Elgin.

South Elgin Sgt. Mike Doty said Friday police had talked to Scoliere's attorney, Stephen M. Komie of Chicago, about arranging her surrender.

"Her blood alcohol concentration level was over the legal limit of 0.08 percent," Doty said, but he wouldn't give the exact reading from the toxicology test done that July night at Provena St. Joseph Hospital.

At 11:29 p.m. July 13, Frank Ferraro was riding his 2005 Kawasaki motorcycle north at Silver Glen and Randall roads when he was struck by Scoliere's southbound 2003 Ford Escape, police said.

Witnesses said Ferraro attempted to cross the intersection and Scoliere attempted to make a left-hand turn, both on a yellow caution light.

The police report stated Scoliere was able to communicate in a normal manner and had no problem with her motor skills.

But South Elgin police were unable to answer why she was allowed to travel to the hospital for her toxicology test with her parents, not by ambulance or by police car, which is usually required after a fatal accident. Allowing Scoliere to travel to the hospital with her parents left open the question of whether she tried to sober up before her toxicology test was completed.

Ferraro had no drugs or alcohol in his system, Deputy Coroner Amy Renwick said at an inquest on Aug. 22.

The inquest grand jury ruled Ferraro's death was accidental but more information was needed, possibly because Scoliere's toxicology results were not available.

Ferraro was a finance executive for a health-care software company and left behind a 20-year-old son who is a student at the University of Illinois, several family members and many friends who encouraged police to continue their investigation into his death.

"From his family to his friends to his work, no one can still believe he is gone." wrote his friend Karen Ramsden recently. "You have no idea how many lives this has forever affected and changed. We just wanted the truth to come out."