16-Year-Old Charged After Cook County Sheriff's Deputy James Koch Killed In Crash

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CHICAGO (CBS)-- A 16-year-old now faces reckless homicide charges after a high-speed crash that killed Cook County Sheriff's Deputy James Koch.

According to the Chicago Ride Police Department, a Nissan, driven by a 16-year-old, struck Cook County Sheriff's Deputy James Koch's vehicle. Koch was trapped in his vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet, and unresponsive when officials arrived on the scene in the 10100 block of Virginia Ave.

Koch was taken to Christ Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Credit: Cook County Sheriff's Office

Koch was off-duty at the time of the accident and police said he was on his way home from his shift. According to officials, Koch's specific title is electronic monitoring unit investigator and he had been with the Cook County Sheriff's office for over 28 years.

"At approximately 12:30 p.m. today felony charges of Reckless Homicide in addition to no valid Driver License, Improper Lane Usage and Driving Too Fast for Conditions were approved by the State Attorney's Office," Chicago Ridge Chief Robert Pyznarski stated.

Police said the juvenile is being held in custody until his next hearing on April 5.

They also said wet roads and speed were major factors in the crash, not drugs or alcohol.