YORKVILLE, IL — A 23-year-old Sandwich man died after Yorkville police say a driver intentionally struck two pedestrians in the 300 block of East Veterans Parkway over the weekend and then fled the scene.
Police identified the victim as Victor M. Hernandez Medina. A second pedestrian survived and was treated for non-life threatening injuries. Investigators said the crash happened shortly after the involved parties met near East Veterans Parkway before 5:15 p.m. Sunday.
Yorkville police said the suspect vehicle and its driver were found a short time later in Oswego. The driver was taken into custody and remained in custody as of the latest police update. No charges had been filed.
Police say the pedestrians met the driver before the crash
According to Yorkville police, the people involved had arranged to meet before the collision. That meeting happened in the 300 block of East Veterans Parkway, a stretch of road that runs through a commercial and residential area on the city’s east side.
Investigators said the vehicle struck both pedestrians shortly after the meeting. Police described the impact as intentional, which makes the case stand out from a routine traffic crash and places it under active criminal investigation.
Authorities have not said what led up to the encounter or why the parties agreed to meet. They also have not publicly described the vehicle beyond saying it matched the suspect vehicle description later located in Oswego.
Victor M. Hernandez Medina was pronounced dead at a hospital
Hernandez Medina was pronounced dead at a hospital after the crash. He was 23 and lived in Sandwich, a community west of Yorkville in Kendall and DeKalb counties.
Police said the second pedestrian suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and received treatment. The department has not released that person’s name.
The deaths and injuries turned what began as a weekend encounter into a fatal hit-and-run investigation. Police have not said whether the pedestrians and the driver knew one another before the meeting, or how long after the collision the victim was taken for treatment.
Suspect and vehicle were found in Oswego
After the crash, officers located a vehicle matching the suspect description, along with its driver, in Oswego. Police said that happened a short time after the incident in Yorkville.
The driver was taken into custody as a suspect. Yorkville police said the person remained in custody, but they have not announced formal charges.
The quick identification and location of the driver suggest investigators were able to follow leads soon after the hit-and-run. Police have not said whether the suspect was arrested in connection with the vehicle itself, witness accounts, surveillance footage, or other evidence.
Kendall County investigators and Illinois State Police joined the case
The Kendall County Major Crimes Taskforce and Illinois State Police are working with Yorkville police on the investigation. Their involvement indicates the case is being treated as a serious violent-crime matter, not just a traffic offense.
Officials have not said whether the driver knew Hernandez Medina or the second pedestrian. They also have not released any information about a possible motive.
Because police have described the collision as intentional, investigators are likely focusing on the circumstances of the meeting, the path of the vehicle, and what happened in the moments before and after the pedestrians were struck.
No charges announced as family and community await answers
As of the latest update, no charges had been filed. Police have not said when they expect the case to be presented to prosecutors or whether additional arrests are possible.
The lack of charges leaves key questions unanswered, including what the suspect is accused of under Illinois law and whether the case will be handled as a homicide investigation, a traffic case, or both. Those decisions usually depend on evidence gathered by detectives and prosecutors.
For Hernandez Medina’s family and the second victim, the weekend encounter has already left one life lost and another person hurt. The investigation continues as authorities work to sort out exactly what led to the crash on East Veterans Parkway.