A Northbrook man was charged in the horrific crash that killed a 17-year-old Glenbrook South High School senior and injured himself and two others in Glenview Sunday, police said.
Taeyoung Kim, 21, was charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence causing death, reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence causing great bodily harm, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content over .08, driving under the influence of drugs, reckless driving, speeding, driving without lights when required, and improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, Glenview police said in a statement.
Police responded to the two-car crash in the 1200 block of East Lake Avenue just after 11 p.m. Sunday.
Kim was driving westbound in a reckless manner when he struck the vehicle of 17-year-old Marko Niketic, police said. Witnesses said the force of the high-speed collision split Niketic’s late-model Mercedes in half.
Niketic was pronounced dead at the scene. Kim was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The passengers of both vehicles were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in critical condition, according to police.
Niketic is survived by his parents and a brother, as well as extended family in the U.S. and Serbia, according to his online obituary.
“At this time, we are respecting the family’s need for privacy as they process their loss,” Glenbrook South principal Barbara Georges wrote a letter to students and families. “Death can be difficult for us to understand, especially when it is sudden. Today, students may feel shock, sadness, or confusion. What is most important is that we care for and support each other.”
Kim is scheduled to appear at a conditions hearing Saturday in Cook County court.
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