Man Charged In Orland Mall Fatal Crash Was Driving More Than 100 MPH At Impact: Prosecutors

ORLAND PARK, IL — An Orland Park man now charged in connection with a multi-car crash that killed a pedestrian near Orland Square Mall in June was driving more than 100 mph when he hit the car that struck the man, prosecutors said in court Thursday.

Prakash Patel, 43, was taken into custody Aug. 19 and charged in the multi-car crash during which 66-year-old Antoni Luczynski, of Palos Hills, was struck and killed. Luczynski had been standing at a bus stop at the corner of LaGrange Road at 149th Street.

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Patel has been charged with reckless homicide, two counts of aggravated reckless driving, misdemeanor reckless driving, and 14 additional traffic violations.

Prosecutors said Patel had been driving northbound in a Telsa, with his mother-in-law as a passenger. Patel's vehicle then struck three other vehicles also traveling northbound on LaGrange Road. Two of those vehicles were forced off the roadway, with one hitting Luczynski, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors on Thursday said Patel had been driving from the Secretary of State Office in Orland Park, where he was seen on surveillance video backing out of a parking space and nearly hitting another car.

Ten minutes later, court documents said the Tesla is seen cutting across lanes of traffic without signaling, then sideswiping a Lexus at 151st and LaGrange. Dashcam footage from a nearby Orland Park Public Works vehicle captured the first collision, according to a proffer.

Patel continued driving at a high rate of speed, prosecutors said, then rear-ended a Ford Fusion at 149th and LaGrange Road.

The Ford was "hurled into the sidewalk" by the impact, prosecutors said, where it hit Luczynski before also striking a Pace bus stop pole and a crosswalk signal pole. Video showed the Ford striking Luczynki, who suffered blunt force trauma to his head and a severed left arm, prosecutors said.

After hitting the Ford, Patel's Tesla is seen on a traffic camera striking a third vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta. Patel's vehicle had spun out from the impact of hitting the Fusion, prosecutors said, and struck the Volkswagen as it was traveling through the intersection. Both the Ford and Volkswagen came to rest off the road on embankments.

Seven people total were transported to area hospitals, where they were treated and released.

Police at the scene said Patel "appeared lucid and was able to communicate clearly." An accident report detailed that Patel initially told police he believed he had suffered a seizure prior to the accident. A DUI testing kit ran on Patel at the hospital afterward revealed epilepsy medication Lamotrigine in his system.

Patel did not disclose to his treating physician any concerns about having experienced a seizure.

Black box data pulled from the Ford Focus and Tesla show that the Ford, specifically, was traveling at 22 to 25 mph—below the posted speed limit of 35 p.m. The Tesla was traveling between 107 and 109 mph at the time of the collision, prosecutors said.

Patel was driving at approximately 67-92 mph at the time of the impact with the Volkswagen, and allegedly did not brake between hitting the Ford and Volkswagen, prosecutors said. Police conducted a speed analysis and validated the data, prosecutors said.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau documents that Patel has made seven prior claims from 2018 through 2026. In a previous two-car crash in which he was driving a Nissan Ultima at 151st and 82nd, Patel also told he believed he'd had a seizure.

Judge Linzey Jones on Thursday ordered him released pending trial, with the conditions that he have not have contact with specific parties, surrender his passport and driver's license, and not leave the state without permission. He is also prohibited from driving.

His next court date is Monday, Aug. 24.