Man charged with leaving the scene after hitting teen bicyclist

A Villa Park man has been accused of leaving the scene after hitting a teen bicyclist Monday night.

Joel Lazaro, 50, of the 0-100 block of North Westmore Avenue, is charged with felony failure to report an accident involving personal injury and one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury or death.

Around 7:07 p.m., police responded to a crash near Elm Street and Princeton Avenue. A 13-year-old boy was crossing the intersection when a Toyota Venza hit him, according to a news release from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

The Venza hit the side of the bike; the boy was dragged roughly 25 feet. Prosecutors say Lazaro was driving the Venza and did not stop to check the boy’s condition.

The boy was treated at a hospital for injuries that do not appear to be life-threatening. According to a petition for detention, the boy suffered cuts, scrapes and a bump on the back of his head.

The petition said that, when police located the vehicle and questioned Lazaro, he said there was no stop sign on his side of the intersection, but the boy had one on his side.

On Tuesday morning, DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden denied prosecutors’ request to detain Lazaro pretrial because the charges are not forcible felonies and the dangerousness to the community standard was not met.

“A failure to remain or report does not involve the threat of or infliction of great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement,” he wrote in an order.

He did prohibit Lazaro from driving while the case progresses unless the Illinois Secretary of State authorizes it.

Lazaro is scheduled to be arraigned on July 1.