Felony Hit-And-Run Charge Filed After Man In Wheelchair Struck

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL — An arrest has been made in a June hit-and-run accident involving a pedestrian being struck while crossing the street in his wheelchair. Jasmine K. Nelson, 22, of the 7600 block of Keeler Avenue, Skokie, is accused of a felony count of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, aggravated use of an electronic communication device being involved in a motor vehicle accident that results in great bodily harm, speeding 35 mph over the limit, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and was arrested last Thursday.

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The charges come as the result of a two-month investigation into the hit-and-run traffic crash on June 2 on Elmhurst Road (Route 83), south of Huntington Commons Road, according to a news release. Witnesses reported the vehicle that struck the pedestrian — a black colored Chevrolet — did not stop and continued southbound on Elmhurst Road with damage to its front end and windshield. The pedestrian, Marc Giolli, 55, of Mount Prospect, who was in a wheelchair, was crossing Elmhurst Road near 1300 S. Elmhurst Road, when he was struck by the Chevrolet in the southbound lanes of traffic.

Giolli was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with serious injuries, according to the news release. A GoFundMe for Giolli was set up by his niece, Tianna Tyler, who said he has spina bifida and is a paraplegic. As of Monday, nearly $30,000 had been raised in the campaign.

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Tyler said Giolli had a broken pelvis and knee, shattered ribs and a punctured lung, and a deep head wound with internal brain bleeding.

Shortly following the accident, Nelson was located in an apartment complex located near Elmhurst Road and Oakton Street, according to the news release.

Police said the investigation found Nelson was driving southbound on Elmhurst Road (Route 83), south of Huntington Commons Road, and was actively using an application on her cellular phone seconds before striking Giolli, who was crossing Elmhurst Road in a wheelchair. After striking the pedestrian, Nelson accelerated to a high rate of speed away from the location of the crash and did not return to the scene of the crash, which is required by Illinois law.

Mount Prospect Police requested Nelson to surrender herself, which she did last Thursday afternoon, according to the news release. She was taken to the 3rd District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows on Friday for a bond hearing. Nelson’s bond was set at $50,000. Her next court date is scheduled for Aug. 20 in Rolling Meadows.