Illinois high schooler killed in DUI crash weeks before graduation
Suspected DUI driver reached speeds of 130 mph in crash that killed high school senior Marko Niketic in Mother's Day crash. FOX 32 Chicago reports.
The lives of two young men in Illinois are forever changed after a deadly Mother's Day crash killed one, and left another facing criminal charges.
Police in Glenview say Taeyoung Kim, 21, was responsible for the crash that claimed the life of 17-year-old Marko Niketic. Kim made his first court appearance Saturday, when a judge said the "fast and furious deadly accident" was a "brazen disregard for human life," according to FOX 32 Chicago.
The crash happened just after 11 p.m. May 12 on East Lake Avenue between and Meadow Lane, police said. Kim is accused of having alcohol and marijuana in his system when the dash cam on his 2021 Ford Mustang caught him running a red light and speeding from downtown Chicago to a suburban street that has a 35 mph speed limit.
Prosecutors said Kim's speeds reached 131 mph before the crash, and that a witness saw Kim's car shut its headlights off, according to the local station. Niketic was making a left turn onto Lake Avenue when Kim allegedly turned his headlights back on before crashing into the teen's vehicle, court documents obtained by NBC Chicago state. The documents said Kim's car was going 122 mph at the time of impact, destroying Niketic's car.
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Taeyoung Kim, 21, faces multiple charges for the Mother's Day crash that claimed the life of 7-year-old Marko Niketic. (Village of Glenview Police Department)
Niketic, a Glenbrook South High School senior days away from graduating, was pronounced dead at the scene. His girlfriend, who was his passenger, suffered injuries including a brain bleed and a broken pelvis, FOX32 reported.
Police say a passenger in Kim's vehicle was also taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Glenview Police for additional information, but they did not immediately respond.
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Video captured at the scene shows how badly the car driven by Marco Niketic was damaged in the crash. (FOX 32 Chicago)
"He's one of those people, you meet him, and he's glowing. The most genuine human ever," Preston Shute told NBC Chicago of Niketic. "He had a lot of stuff ahead of him. I can't really process it."
Marko Niketic was days away from experiencing prom and graduation, highlights for any high school senior.
Kim's attorney spoke outside court Saturday alongside what appeared to be devastated parents.
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"He's blaming a lot on himself as a father, maybe a lack of supervision," the lawyer said.
Kim faces charges including two counts of aggravated driving under the influence and reckless homicide, FOX32 reported, with his next court date set for May 24.
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