Man was traveling over 130 mph in DUI crash that killed teen in north Chicago suburbs, prosecutors say
GLENVIEW, Ill. (CBS) — A 21-year-old man is being held without bond after he was charged with driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a teenage boy in Glenview last weekend.
Taeyoung Kim of Northbrook was charged Friday night with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence, causing death and great bodily harm, reckless homicide, and other drunken driving counts and traffic violations in the crash that killed 17-year-old Marko Niketic.
Kim appeared in court on Saturday and was ordered to be held. The judge said Kim's actions showed a "brazen disregard for human life and safety," and it was his choice to weaponize his vehicle.
Prosecutors said that on May 12, around 8 p.m., Kim was driving a 2021 Ford Mustang with a friend in the passenger seat. Dash camera footage captured the series of events beginning on the roadway from his home and heading into the downtown Chicago area, where he ran a red light at Roosevelt Road just before 11 p.m.
The Mustang then began to travel at a high rate of speed, passing multiple cars on Ida B. Wells Drive and making a U-turn. According to prosecutors, he then merged on I-90/94 westbound towards Wisconsin and continued to drive at a high rate of speed.
Kim exited at Lake Avenue in Glenview minutes later and continued driving westbound in the 1200 block of East Lake Avenue, passing another car heading in the same direction. That driver said the Mustang increased speed and turned off the headlights.
The car continued towards the intersection of Lake Avenue and Meadow Lane, where it collided with Niketic's car – splitting it in half. The Mustang crashed into a tree after the impact.
Kim admitted to a witness at the scene that he had been drinking, prosecutors said.
Niketic died at the scene. Two others – including Niketic's girlfriend – were injured and taken to area hospitals. She was released from the hospital on Friday.
While at the hospital for treatment, it was revealed that Kim's blood alcohol level was 0.088, and he also showed cannabis in his system.
A search of the Mustang showed its speedometer's max listed speed was 120 mph, and the needle was stuck at 120. A bong, rolling papers, a cannabis pipe with cannabis residue, and two plastic containers with cannabis residue were found inside the car.
A search warrant was executed on the Mustang's black box, which showed it was traveling at 131 mph in a 35 mph zone just seconds before the crash and 122 mph at the time of impact.
Niketic was a senior at Glenbrook South High School and was about to graduate.
Funeral services for Niketic were held Thursday morning.
Kim did have a valid driver's license at the time of the crash. He had two previous traffic offenses from Lake County in 2021, one for speeding and one for disregarding a traffic control device, and received supervision for those offenses.
He is due back in court on May 24.