Wood Dale man accused of driving through fatal crash scene in McHenry County is released pretrial

Andrew M. Franklin

A Wood Dale man who allegedly drove through a fatal crash scene in McHenry County was released from custody Monday while awaiting trial.

Andrew M. Franklin, 64, is accused of speeding through a fatal crash site while police were investigating and driving his car toward an officer, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court. Franklin was charged with aggravated assault to a police officer, a Class 4 felony, and obstructing a police officer, a Class A misdemeanor, the court records show.

Franklin made his initial court appearance Monday and was released with conditions, including that he must refrain from “direct, intentional contact” with the police officer whom authorities allege Franklin almost hit with his car. Prosecutors did not seek to have Franklin detained in jail while he awaits trial but asked for conditions of his release that were granted.

The complaint alleges that Franklin drove his vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz, “directly at” at an officer who was working the scene of the fatal crash, and that Franklin disregarded the officer’s orders to stop, causing the officer to have to move out of the way to avoid being hit.

According to the complaint, Franklin also was ordered to stop because he was about to drive through a fatal crash scene. Instead, Franklin kept driving through the scene and fled from the officer, authorities said. A warrant had been issued for Franklin’s arrest earlier in December.

Rather than stop his car when told to do so because he was entering the fatal crash scene, Franklin “continued driving through the scene of the crash, and ultimately fled from” the deputy, according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, the allegations against Franklin occurred about 11:10 p.m. Sept. 27. Court documents do not give a location of the crash scene, but about 20 minutes earlier the same night, Austin Stanek of Island Lake was walking along Roberts Road near Island Lake when he was killed in what authorities said was a hit-and-run crash.

Franklin is due back in court Jan. 28.

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