Man charged after driver leaves scene of fatal car vs. pedestrian crash in Wheaton, victim identified

WHEATON, Ill. — A man was charged Thursday after he was identified as the driver who allegedly left the scene of a car crash that killed a 25-year-old pedestrian from Glen Ellyn, according to the Wheaton Police Department.

Wheaton police said the alleged driver, 26-year-old Miguel Angel Abrego-Abrego, was taken into custody and charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving Death — A class one felony — and traffic citations for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident, and Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle.

According to WPD, they were called to Butterfield Road near Scottsdale Circle at around 4:45 a.m. Sunday, where a passing motorist told 911 an individual was lying in the road.

When officers arrived on scene, they found 25-year-old Jared Barnes, a resident of Glen Ellyn, lying in the road. Police said he was pronounced dead when they arrived, and an initial investigation showed Barnes suffered severe injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle.

“He was kind of a free spirit. He wanted to see things and do things,” Robert Wynne, Barnes’ grandfather, told WGN’s Dana Rebik Thursday. “He went up there for a concert and decided he liked the area.”

Wynne spoke to WGN News over Zoom from San Antonio, Texas, where Barnes’ family resides.

According to Wynne, Barnes was walking back to his apartment from his job when the crash happened.

“It was a store on that road [where] he worked a night shift from 10-3:30,” Wynne said. “And he was walking to his apartment and had to go down this road to get where he was going.”

WPD’s MERIT Major Crime Crash Reconstruction Team was called to further investigate the crash, and after a short time, they developed a profile of the car suspected of hitting Barnes — A Hyundai Sonata with heavy front-end damage, allegedly belonging to Abrego-Abrego.

Abrego-Abrego was ordered to be detained until his next court appearance, which is set for Oct. 7, 2024 at the DuPage County Courthouse.

“I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of the responding police officers, MERIT Crash Reconstruction Team, and the Aurora Police Department’s officers for their assistance in identifying and apprehending the alleged offender,” said Wheaton Police Chief P.J. Youker.

“I would also like to thank State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance while investigating this case and ensuring Mr. Abrego-Abrego was ordered to be detained during his pre-trial hearing.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.