Driver charged nearly a year after crash that killed Elgin man, Marengo woman
A Georgia woman accused of driving while under the influence of cocaine and causing a crash that killed two people, including an Elgin man who was her passenger, last year in Marengo now is in custody at the McHenry County jail.
Miranda A. Johnson, 27, of the 8000 block of Estee Drive in Cummings, Georgia, appeared in court Wednesday morning and is being held on $50,000 bail, of which she would need to post $5,000 to be released,
She is charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, two counts of reckless homicide, two counts of aggravated reckless homicide and one count of speeding more than 35 miles an hour, according to the criminal complaint.
The most serious charges can carry sentences of three to seven years in prison.
The crash, which results in the deaths of Elgin resident Carlos Valencia, 34, and Marengo resident Julie Greif, 51, occurred on Sept. 29, 2021, near the intersection West Coral Road and Route 23.
Charges weren't filed until filed Aug. 26 because of a delay in receiving toxicology results from the Illinois State Police Crime Lab, said McHenry County Assistant State's Attorney Jim Newman.
Police allege Johnson was the influence of cocaine and speeding at 104 mph in a 55-mph zone when she hit Greif's 2011 Chevrolet Camaro.