Lake County man pleads not guilty to charges in fatal wreck

A Lake County man pleaded not guilty to charges he was driving recklessly before a crash that killed a high school student and her father in Lindenhurst nearly a year ago.

Christopher Romano, 33, of the 15000 block of Russell Road near Zion, faces up to five years in prison if found guilty of three counts of reckless homicide with a motor vehicle.

He is also charged with one count of aggravated reckless driving resulting in bodily harm. He could be sentenced to up to three years in prison if found guilty of that charge, officials said.

Romano is free from Lake County jail after posting the required 10 percent of his $100,000 bail. He is due back in court Sept 13.

Assistant State's Attorney Michael Ori said he could not release specific details about the case, except to say Romano violated several vehicle codes before the crash that killed 50-year-old Chris Winiewicz and his 15-year-old daughter, Haylie, both of Lindenhurst, in the August 2015.

Ashley Winiewicz, 16, was driving the family's Kia when it collided with the Nissan pickup truck driven by Romano at routes 45 and 132, police said. Ashley survived the crash, as did Romano's passenger, Jacob Stone, 25, of Bartlett.

There was a massive outpouring of support for the Winiewicz family after the crash. Haylie was a sophomore at Grayslake North High School, where she was on the cheerleading team with Ashley, then a junior.

Haylie was also involved with Twisters Elite, a dance and cheer school in Lake Villa.

Romano's trial is expected to begin Oct. 11.