Kane County

Judge Orders Man Charged in Hit-and-Run Crash Held on $500K Bond

Parents of the 7-year-old girl severely injured in the crash spoke publicly for the first time, asking for prayers as their daughter faces a "long road to recovery"

A judge on Tuesday ordered the man charged in a hit-and-run crash that severely injured a 7-year-old girl in the western suburbs over the weekend held on a $500,000 bond.

Brian Quartuccio, 42, appeared in bond court in Kane County Tuesday morning wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit, saying nothing during the proceedings and bearing a solemn look on his face.

Authorities said Quartuccio turned himself in to investigators sometime before 12:15 p.m. on Monday and was charged with leaving the scene and failing to report an accident resulting in injury, driving on a revoked license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

A search of cases in Kane County by NBC 5 Investigates found 25 traffic convictions under Quartuccio’s name from 1995 to 2017, including two DUIs in 2007 and 2017. In bond court, officials said he had a total of three prior felony DUI cases and was on probation for two prior convictions of driving on a revoked license when the crash took place over the weekend. 

The crash occurred at around 1 p.m. Sunday in unincorporated St. Charles Township, on Geneva Avenue near its intersection with Courier Avenue.

A black Dodge pick-up truck was traveling on Geneva Avenue when it struck the child, who was riding a bicycle at the time, officials said. The girl was airlifted from the scene to Lutheran General Hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Authorities said the driver, later identified as Quartuccio, fled the scene of the crash, and the truck was found abandoned a few blocks away, police said. A massive police search took place near the Fox River as authorities searched the area. Sheriff's deputies said the suspect was seen jumping into the river and then later running through backyards in the area.

The girl's parents spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday at Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, thanking the community for its "love and support for our beautiful angel Lexi."

"Our girl is stable, she's in great hands, and she will pull through stronger than ever," her mother said outside the hospital. "Please continue to send love and prayers her way. Lexi does have a long road to recovery but we know how truly lucky we are."

In a Facebook message, the girl's stepmother said the 7-year-old "has a couple broken bones," among other injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery "over time."

"We just hope she continues to recover," Kane County Undersheriff Patrick Gengler said. "And gets back to what 7-year-old girls are supposed to be doing during the summer."

Quartuccio is the owner of a landscaping company and the sole provider for his 11-year-old son, his attorney said in court Tuesday, arguing that those factors should play a role in setting his bond lower, requesting that the judge set it at $50,000. 

Prosecutors asked for bond to be set at $500,000, a request Judge Keith Johnson honored, saying Quartuccio was a "danger" and a "flight risk" considering his past history and the fact that he allegedly fled the scene of Sunday's crash. 

Quartuccio was next scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing on May 23. His attorney declined to comment on the case Tuesday morning. 

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