Man accused of driving vehicle into Harvard business, injuring worker inside, is charged with felony

A man accused of driving his vehicle too fast and crashing into a Harvard business, injuring a man inside, has been charged with aggravated reckless driving.

Sergio Pichardo-Esquivel, 20, of the 200 block of South Park Street in Harvard, is charged with aggravated reckless driving causing great bodily harm disability or disfigurement, a Class 4 felony, according to the complaint in the McHenry County court. If convicted, sentencing on a Class 4 felony is one to three years in prison or probation.

He also was charged with traffic offenses including driving too fast for conditions or failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, transportation of open alcohol by a driver and unlawful possession of marijuana by a driver, according to a complaint filed in court.

About 9:30 a.m. March 11, Pichardo-Esquivel drove a red 2019 Ford Coupe westbound on Park Street “at a speed where he could no longer control the vehicle crashing into a building,” according to the complaint. “Once the vehicle penetrated the building, contact was made with an adult male who was sitting at his desk; both the victim and debris were thrown approximately 15-20 feet away.”

The building that was struck is at 701 W. Park St., the location of Erect-A-Tube, an airplane hangar construction business. Officials said Pichard-Esquivel’s car also hit two vehicles during the crash.

The man hit by the vehicle suffered injuries requiring “multiple stitches to his right elbow” and resulting in “severe bruising to his left calf causing him to be placed into a leg brace,” according to the complaint.

Harvard Police Chief Tyson Bauman said the incident is under investigation and more charges could be filed.