Man Faces Aggravated DUI Charges In Fatal 2019 Beach Park Crash

BEACH PARK, IL — An investigation into May 2019 fatal crash in Beach Park has resulted in the arrest of a Waukegan man, according to a news release from the Lake County Sheriff's office. Lake County Sheriff’s Traffic Crash Investigators determined 37-year-old Juan C. Aguiar, of the 1100 block of Mary Jane Lane in Waukegan, was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs on May 12 when the Nissan Altima he was driving crashed and killed a 23-year-old passenger in the car, according to the news release.

On Tuesday, crash investigators met with the Lake County State's Attorney's office to review evidence and facts collected during the investigation, and the state's attorney's office approved felony charges and a warrant for Aguiar, the release said.

Crash investigators then appeared in court where a judge approved and signed the arrest warrant, setting Aguiar's bond at $750,00o, according to the sheriff's office.

Aguiar was arrested Tuesday night at his home on accusations of the following felony charges:

• Two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol
• Aggravated driving under the influence of drugs (cocaine)
• Aggravated driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs

He remains held in the Lake County Jail awaiting an initial court hearing for the charges stemming from the crash.

Related: One Person Killed, Several Injured In Weekend Beach Park Crashes

The Lake County Sheriff's Office said deputies were sent to the area of Green Bay Road and Kenosha Road in Beach Park at 2:30 a.m. on May 12 for a traffic crash, where they found a red 2014 Nissan Altima had been damaged in a single-car crash. The Altima also struck the Benton Township Assessor's Office Building at 40020 N Green Bay Road, the sheriff's office said.

Early investigation showed the driver of the Nissan was driving southwest on Kenosha Road, and when approaching the stop sign at Green Bay Road, he didn't stop, but instead crossed the road, hit an embankment, and then hit the Benton Township Assessor's Office.

The driver was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville by a Flight for Life Helicopter, with critical life-threatening injuries, the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office added that the front-seat passenger, a 23-year-old male of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, was taken to Vista East Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, and a 23-year-old male passenger in the back seat (home address undetermined at that time), was pronounced dead at the scene.