UPDATES WITH COURT INFORMATION
A 20-year-old man was ordered held in lieu of $200,000 bail Wednesday for allegedly running away after a crash that left one of his passengers dead and another in critical condition over the weekend.
Rafael Paz Fernandez turned himself into police Monday, the day after prosecutors said he struck an SUV as he drove a friend’s pickup truck through an alley near West 28th Street and South Komensky Avenue, then veered into a post.
The impact sent two men riding in the bed of the truck flying, killing one of them, Assistant State’s Attorney Kristin Estrada said. Fernandez and an unidentified man riding in the passenger seat took off after Sunday night’s wreck, she said.
A 30-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene at 7:13 p.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy Monday found he died of multiple blunt force injuries due to vehicular trauma and his death was ruled an accident. His name has not been released, pending notification of his family.
A 28-year-old man was taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.
Fernandez told police he had borrowed the blue Dodge Dakota from his sister’s boyfriend, to pick up several friends who had been drinking, and was taking them to a currency exchange on 26th and Pulaski when the accident occurred, authorities said.
Fernandez was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and leaving the scene of an injury accident.
–Sun-Times Wire and Chicago Sun-Times