Aurora woman charged in fatal street racing crash
Ailisa Gutierrez | Aurora police
AURORA, Ill. - An Aurora woman was charged in connection with a high-speed crash that killed a 45-year-old man and injured two others in July.
Ailisa Gutierrez, 20, faces multiple charges, including two counts of reckless homicide and aggravated street racing.
The crash happened on July 24 around 8:40 p.m. near East New York Street and North Eola Road.
According to investigators, Gutierrez was racing a motorcycle at speeds exceeding 100 mph while driving a Dodge Challenger. As she attempted a sudden lane change into a turn lane, her vehicle struck a curb and went airborne, crashing into three cars stopped at a red light. One of the drivers, Gerardo Cuatzo, of Aurora, was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office announced the charges, which also include reckless driving, speeding, improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
Gutierrez was arrested Wednesday after a warrant was issued and was later released following a pretrial hearing. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 18.
"Driving is a privilege, not a right," DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said in a statement. "The allegations that Ms. Gutierrez was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour just seconds before crashing are shocking. I offer my sincere condolences to Gerardo’s family and friends."
Gutierrez's next court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 18.