Attorney: Plea agreement close for teen charged in fatal crash
The trial for a 19-year-old woman accused of sniffing cleaning products before driving into a Highland Park family walking on a sidewalk has been pushed back until July.
However, defense attorney Douglas Zeit of Waukegan told Lake County Judge James Booras that both sides are close to a plea deal and the hope is to have the criminal case resolved by the July 12 trial date.
“I am hopeful we can resolve this short of trial,” Zeit said.
Rousso, of Highland Park, is charged with reckless homicide and four counts of aggravated driving under the influence of an intoxicating compound for her role in the accident that killed 5-year-old Jaclyn Santos-Sacramento of Highland Park.
The girl's mother and two brothers also were injured.
Authorities said Rousso was sniffing computer dust cleaner moments before crashing a family-owned Lexus coupe into Santos-Sacramento and her family as they walked in the 700 block of Central Avenue.
Rousso could spend 26 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charges.
She is due back in court for a pretrial hearing June 11.