CHICAGO RIDGE (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Cook County sheriff's investigator is dead after a two-vehicle crash early Saturday near his home in Chicago Ridge.
The 16-year-old driver of the other vehicle involved was taken into custody and charged Saturday afternoon with felony reckless homicide, as well as no valid driver's license, improper lane usage and driving too fast for conditions, Chicago Ridge police said. Because of his juvenile status, police did not disclose his identity.
Investigator James Koch, 51, was off-duty and driving just after midnight in the 10100 block of Virginia Avenue in the southwest suburb when his vehicle was struck by a teenager driving a 2015 Nissan, according to police.
The Chicago Ridge Fire Department found Koch unresponsive and took him to Christ Hospital, where he died, police said.
Koch, an electronic monitoring investigator, was a 28-year veteran of the Cook County sheriff's office, spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said.
"He was an incredible colleague and friend to so many," Ansari said. "Our hearts are broken for his family, his friends, and all who were fortunate enough to know him."
An Illinois State Trooper was also killed in a crash Saturday morning in north suburban Green Oaks. The wrong-way driver, who state police say caused the crash, was also killed.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2019. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
