A 20-year-old St. Charles man has been charged with reckless homicide after a fatal car crash in Geneva in September that killed a couple in their 80s, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and Geneva Police Department.
The crash occurred on Sept. 5, when a BMW struck a Toyota Corolla while the Corolla was attempting to turn westbound onto Bricher Road from Fisher Drive in Geneva, pushing the Toyota east of the intersection, officials have said. The collision sent the BMW off the roadway into a wooded brush area north of the intersection, where it sparked with fire but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, according to officials.
An 85-year-old Geneva man, who was driving the Toyota, and his wife, 88, were killed in the crash. They were later identified as Dennis and Ritsuko White.
Since then, Charles T. Rodgers, 20, of St. Charles — the driver of the BMW — has been charged with reckless homicide, aggravated reckless driving, unlawful possession of a stolen or converted motor vehicle and speeding, a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office and Geneva Police Department said.
Rodgers did not have an attorney listed on the 16th Judicial Circuit’s website as of Friday afternoon.
Rodgers, who had three passengers in the car with him, was not legally allowed to possess the car and had gotten it from a St. Charles Chrysler Dodge dealership where he was employed at the time, the news release said. Two of the passengers suffered fractures as a result of the crash, while the third passenger was medically released at the scene, officials said.
Prosecutors are alleging that Rodgers slowed to a stop on Bricher Road, which carries a speed limit of 45 mph, before accelerating and ultimately reaching a speed of 119 mph moments before the crash, the State’s Attorney’s Office and police department said. They also alleged that, instead of braking, Rodgers steered the BMW left, apparently attempting to go around the other car, but instead striking it head-on, according to the release.
On Friday, Rodgers was brought to Kane County court for a pretrial detention hearing, the news release said. The court, denying the state’s petition, ordered that he be released under electronic home monitoring while his case is pending, requiring that he not drive any vehicle or contact the remaining survivors of the crash, according to the release.
Rodgers’ next court date is set for May 20.