Following a seven-month investigation, North Riverside police have arrested the man they say was behind the wheel of black Mercedes-Benz involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash in the 2300 block of 17th Avenue late last year.
On June 21, police charged Adam Kuta, 24, of North Riverside, with leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, a Class 1 felony that includes a possible jail sentence of between four and 15 years, if convicted.
Police say Kuta was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz that was northbound on 17th Avenue when it struck a southbound Toyota Corolla at about 8:40 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2018. Initially, police reported that the Toyota was performing a U-turn, but the investigation determined it was making a left turn into a driveway.
The driver of the Toyota, which rolled over as a result of the impact, wasn’t seriously injured. The vehicle’s front-seat passenger, 35-year-old John-Paul S. Burgos, of North Riverside, was found unresponsive at the scene.
Burgos died Nov. 8 as a result of injuries he suffered in the crash.
Kuta allegedly ran from the scene of the crash, but police say they identified him as a suspect at the time of incident. Upon completion of their investigation, North Riverside police arrested Kuta on June 21.
At a hearing on June 22, a Cook County judge set Kuta’s bond at $30,000. He awaits a July 1 court date at the Maybrook courthouse in Maywood.
