Duo charged in Naperville street racing crash that left 2 seriously injured: prosecutors
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Two men face felony charges after allegedly engaging in an illegal street race that ended in a violent crash and sent two passengers to the hospital with serious injuries, prosecutors said.
What we know:
Jadon Ramirez, 18, and Sahil Chauhan, 23, are each charged with one count of aggravated street racing and one count of aggravated reckless driving causing great bodily harm, both Class 4 felonies, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
(From left) Sahil Chauhan and Jadon Ramirez. (DuPage County State's Attorney )
Ramirez appeared in court June 27, where a judge granted the state’s motion to detain him ahead of trial. Chauhan appeared in court on Monday; the judge denied the state’s motion to detain him pretrial.
The backstory:
The charges stem from a crash around 12:06 a.m. April 26 outside the Courtyard Marriott at 1155 E. Diehl Road.
Naperville police said Ramirez was driving a black 2006 Mercedes CLS500 and racing another vehicle when he lost control and slammed into a tree. Four people were in the Mercedes.
Two passengers were ejected and seriously injured, authorities said.
One victim, a 17-year-old boy, was found unconscious and suffered multiple traumatic injuries, including a punctured lung, broken ribs and internal brain bleeding, prosecutors said. The second victim, an 18-year-old man, sustained a broken arm. Both were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Further investigation identified Chauhan as the driver of a blue 2024 Acura ZDX seen racing Ramirez. Prosecutors said the two first encountered each other near Diehl Road and Mill Street, where Ramirez pointed at Chauhan and made a gesture indicating a challenge to race.
They allegedly raced twice — first reaching 90 mph, then speeding again after stopping at a traffic light at Washington Street. Prosecutors said Ramirez reached 101 mph in a 40 mph zone before crashing.
What they're saying:
"Street racing is not just illegal, it is extremely dangerous not just for those behind the wheel, but also for their passengers, other motorists and nearby pedestrians," DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. "The blatant disregard for public safety allegedly exhibited by both of these men is astounding and will not be tolerated on the streets of DuPage County."
"There is absolutely no excuse for the type of dangerous and reckless driving alleged in this case," Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres said. "Driving is a privilege that comes with incredible responsibility for the safety of passengers, pedestrians and other motorists on the road. We have no tolerance for this kind of behavior and are grateful to the DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his team for their assistance in holding the accused responsible."
What's next:
Ramirez is due back in court July 18. Chauhan is scheduled to appear on July 28.