No arrest yet in hit-and-run death of Sugar Grove grandmother

Sugar Grove police are continuing to investigate the death of Elaine Zielke, 69, who died Oct. 13 after being hit by a vehicle as a pedestrian, the family’s attorney, George Acosta, said.

“They took a vehicle into custody that morning,” Acosta said. “They impounded it.”

The state crime lab is involved in forensic testing of the vehicle to confirm whether it was involved in the crash that killed Zielke, he said.

Acosta said the state crime lab “is notoriously backed up – but they have requested some urgency from them as well.”

Not only does forensics have to connect the vehicle to Zielke’s death, police also have to ascertain who was driving, Acosta said.

“You have to have someone to identify as the driver,” Acosta said.

He said the police are doing “everything that they can do.”

There is a hope that the driver will come forward, he said.

“They know what they did, and they can unburden themselves at some point by coming forward,” Acosta said.

If the driver was impaired, there is no way to prove a DUI at this point. So the driver already has avoided the most serious consequences, Acosta said.

“Leaving the scene of an accident with injuries is a crime. It’s not negligent homicide or DUI leading to the death of someone – which is much more serious,” Acosta said.

Sugar Grove police did not respond to a request for comment.