Will County man arrested after allegedly blowing red light and crashing into another vehicle, leaving 2 dead
Jacoby Hamilton
JOLIET, Ill. - A Will County man was arrested on Friday after allegedly running a red light and crashing into another vehicle, killing the driver and passenger earlier this year.
Jacoby Hamilton, 19, of Crest Hill, faces four counts of reckless homicide.
At 2:06 a.m. on Feb. 18, a Joliet police officer on patrol discovered a traffic crash near Black Road and 129th Infantry Drive.
While investigating, detectives determined that a Chevrolet Tahoe, driven by Hamilton, disregarded the stoplight and proceeded northbound on 129th Infantry Drive at Black Road.
As the Tahoe entered the intersection, it struck the driver's side of a Chevrolet Trailblazer that was westbound on Black Road at 129th Infantry Drive.
The crash caused the Chevrolet Trailblazer to leave the roadway on the northwest corner of the intersection, striking a fire hydrant and overturning onto its passenger side.
Following the crash, Hamilton and an unknown male passenger attempted to flee the scene. Hamilton was quickly stopped, but the passenger was unable to be located.
The Joliet Fire Department responded to the scene and attempted to extricate the male driver, a 65-year-old man, and a 59-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the Chevrolet Trailblazer. However, both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The victims were identified as Walter Kretzler and Roxane Holt, both of Joliet.
On Friday, investigators secured an arrest warrant for Hamilton. He was taken into custody the same day.
"My thoughts are first and foremost with those who have lost loved ones in this devastating and senseless crash. I commend the diligent work of our officers and detectives who responded to the scene and conducted the follow-up investigation leading to this arrest. A tragedy such as this only reaffirms our commitment to roadway safety, which will always remain a priority for the Joliet Police Department," said Joliet Police Chief Bill Evans.
Police did not provide information on when Hamilton's first court hearing would take place.