Reward Raised for Info on Hit-and-Run That Killed Senior Citizen

By AMIE SCHAENZER (Patch Staff)

An $8,000 reward is now being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the hit-and-run crash that killed James A. Spicak last month in unincorporated Prairie View.

Of that reward money, $6,000 has been raised by members of the community, $1,000 is being pledged by Spicak’s family and the last $1,000 will be provided by Lake County Crime Stoppers, Lake County Sheriff’s Office Detective Christopher Covelli said.

Spicak, 68, was struck in the 16000 block of West Pope Boulevard on Oct. 12. He was found lying unresponsive near his mailbox at 11 p.m. and was taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he was pronounced dead.

It is believed the vehicle was leaving the Horatio Gardens subdivision, traveling westbound toward Weiland Road when the crash occurred occurred. It is likely the vehicle sustained damage during the crash, which could include damage to the bumper, grille, and/or hood areas.

This crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit and Criminal Investigations Division. Anyone in the community with information concerning this incident is urged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (847-549-5200) or Lake County Crime Stoppers (847-662-2222).

The Spicak family has set up a GoFundMe page to continue to raise funds for the reward. Any unused money will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The family wrote on the GoFundMe page:

On Monday, October 12, 2015, our family lost a husband, a father, a brother, a grandfather, an uncle, a friend; a remarkable man with a prodigious heart. ... Help us RAISE MONEY to fund a REWARD for legitimate tips that lead to a conviction for this fatal hit and run. All donations will go toward a reward offered by the investigating department.