Algonquin man accused in hit-and-run, causing woman ‘severe head injury’

An Algonquin man accused of seriously injuring a 25-year-old woman Saturday in a hit-and-run posted the required 10% of a $55,000 bond and was released Monday morning from McHenry County jail, according to court records and the jail log.

Paul J. Epifanio, 38, of the 500 block of North Harrison Street, is charged with failing to report a crash resulting in injury, a Class 2 felony, as well as leaving the scene of a crash resulting in injury, a Class 4 felony, according to court records. The Class 2 felony is punishable by three to seven years in prison but also is probational.

He also was charged with misdemeanor driving while license expired and improper use of registration or title and cited for use of unsafe tires, failing to yield at a crosswalk, failing to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian, driving with expired plates, and failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash.

Epifanio was arrested after police found items at the scene that led them to his Chevrolet SUV parked in the lot of a multi-tenant complex in the 500 block of North Harrison Street. The SUV had damage consistent with the reported hit-and-run crash, Alqonguin police said in a news release.

When police arrived, a 33-year-old female passenger in the SUV at the time of the collision identified Epifanio as the driver who hit the Lake in the Hills woman about 9 p.m. as she walked across the street in a crosswalk at Route 62 and South River Road, police said.

When police arrived at the scene of the collision, the woman was lying in the street. She was taken to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital and was listed in serious condition, according to a news release.

The woman suffered a “severe head injury,” according to the criminal complaint.

Epifanio is accused of “knowingly and intentionally” leaving the scene of a crash, according to the complaint.

“Paul Epifanio was taken into custody more than two hours after the accident occurred without ever having attempted to report the accident,” Algonquin police said in the complaint.

Epifanio was arrested that night on an unrelated outstanding warrant and taken to the Algonquin Police Department. There, he admitted to driving the vehicle involved in the earlier hit-and-run, police said in the release.

As of Monday, the woman’s condition was upgraded to stable, Algonquin Police Sergeant Jason Burzynski said in an email.

Epifanio’s attorney, Sam Amirante, said in a text message that his client “is presumed innocent and I will do my best to assure that he stays that way.”