Northbrook man pleads not guilty in Mother's Day crash that killed Glenbrook South High School senior
GLENVIEW, Ill. - A Northbrook man pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in connection with a crash that killed a beloved Glenbrook South High School senior on Mother's Day, according to court records.
The suspect in the case, 21-year-old Taeyoung Kim, entered the plea Thursday in Skokie.
He's accused of speeding and causing the crash that killed 17-year-old Marko Niketic.
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Kim's charges include two counts of aggravated DUI, reckless homicide and numerous traffic citations.
After his first court appearance, on Saturday, May 18, Kim's attorney said his parents were sick and shell-shocked.
"He's blaming a lot on himself as a father, maybe a lack of supervision," said Kuhn.
Throughout the hearing, Niketic's mother held a photo of her son.
Prosecutors said Kim had alcohol and marijuana in his system and that his own dash cam video recorded him running a red light and speeding from downtown Chicago to suburban Glenview.
The speed limit on Lake Avenue is 35 miles per hour.
Prosecutors said Kim was driving 131 miles per hour seconds before the crash and that he'd turned his headlights off.
Niketic was turning left when the two collided. He was later pronounced deceased at the scene and his car was split in half.
The suspect's attorney said he was disappointed by the judge's decision to detain him. Prosecutors said Kim was previously on supervision for speeding and disregarding a traffic control device.
"I don't believe he's a flight risk. His family has strong ties to the community. He's a U of I student studying archaeology," Kuhn said.
Niketic's girlfriend was in his passenger seat at the time of the crash and suffered severe injuries, including a brain bleed, a broken pelvis, and she reportedly had a seizure.
Kim is due back in court on August 15.