Lake County Gazette

A woman from Mundelein, Illinois, has been arrested following a six-month-long investigation into the fatal incident where a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Deerfield and Picadilly Roads over the summer.

According to a Highland Park press release, the woman, identified as 41-year-old Melanie A. Hass, was alleged to have been behind the wheel of the offending vehicle. Police suggest that Hass was driving her 2020 Jeep Wrangler when it collided with the victim at the intersection of Deerfield Road and Piccadilly Road. Subsequently, she allegedly fled from the scene without rendering aid or notifying law enforcement about the collision.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, alongside the Lake County State's Attorney's Office and Highland Park Police identified Hass after an exhaustive probe into the case according to details in the same Highland Park press release. After careful scrutiny of evidence and facts presented in this matter, Hass was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident — a charge classified as felony. Following these charges, she was transported to Waukegan for her initial court appearance.

Highland Park city council issued another reminder for drivers emphasizing their obligation to stop and provide assistance to any individual injured in an accident they are involved in per guidelines mentioned in their most recent press release. The city council also clarified that being charged is merely an accusation and every defendant should be considered innocent until proven guilty within a legal framework.