Chicago — Prosecutors say two men raced Corvettes at up to 100 mph on Cicero Avenue near Midway Airport in August, resulting in a crash that killed a female tourist who was walking back to her hotel after eating dinner.
Aaron Guerrero, 27, whose car allegedly struck the woman, is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated street racing. The other driver, 36-year-old Noe Garcia, only faces an aggravated street racing charge.
During a bail hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors said Chicago police collected witness statements and video that showed Guerrero driving a red Corvette and Garcia in a blue Corvette south on Cicero Avenue, swerving and speeding up to 100 mph in a 30 mph zone around 1:30 a.m. on August 28.
Just before 65th Street, Guerrero swerved around the blue Corvette and struck a car that was making a legal turn in the intersection. After impact, Guerrero’s car hit the 41-year-old woman in a crosswalk, returning to her hotel with a friend, prosecutors said. The victim and her friend also had a green light.
Surveillance video showed Garcia driving slowly past the crash scene, then driving away, prosecutors said. Guerrero remained at the scene and remained in police custody for almost 48 hours before being released. His attorney said all drug and alcohol tests came back negative.
Data from Guerrero’s airbag indicated that his car was traveling 103 mph as it approached 65th Street. His car braked to 81 mph, then accelerated to 87 mph before impact.
Neither man has any criminal background, and both have been in contact with police and prosecutors in the months since the crash, their attorneys said.
But Guerrero has a history of speeding, prosecutors said. He received supervision for speeding in 2014 and twice in 2020, and was ticketed for speeding again in 2021.
“How he received supervision [twice in 2020] is beyond my comprehension,” Judge Susana Ortiz said near the end of the hearing.
“It goes without saying this doesn’t happen without both of these vehicles engaging each other,” said Ortiz.
She ordered Guerrero to pay a $10,000 bail deposit and Garcia to pay a $3,000 deposit to get out of custody.
