Fatal Crash Update: Police Probe Car Theft, Questions Linger

Police in Wheaton continue their investigation into the circumstances in which a Wisconsin woman stole a vehicle that later was involved in a high-speed crash that killed her and a Maple Park man, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports.

Wheaton police are trying to determine what brought Jennifer Liston, 30, of Madison, Wis., to Wheaton, where she stole a car whose theft was reported at 8:34 p.m. Saturday, just 11 minutes before the deadly crash, the Daily Herald reports.

Also, Geneva police told the Kane County Chronicle on Monday that prior to the fatal accident, Liston was involved in a hit-and-run crash in the 1300 block of West State Street, near Kaneville Road. The accident caused about $1,500 in damage to a vehicle at the scene, but no injuries. Geneva police told the Chronicle that Liston was westbound and entered the eastbound lane, hitting a moving car.

Campton Hills police told Patch on Sunday that Liston was chased briefly by a Kane County sheriff’s deputy after the Geneva crash, but that the deputy called off the pursuit. Witnesses told Campton Hills police that Liston was driving recklessly as she raced westbound on Route 38 at speeds of more than 100 mph in the moments leading up to the deadly crash.

Liston drove her vehicle head-on into a car driven by Zachary Bingham, 18, of Maple Park. Liston died at the scene; Bingham was transported to Delnor Hospital and then flown to Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Comments posted to Patch’s article about the accident echoed the shock and dismay — and anger — felt by Bingham’s family and friends, including those at Kaneland High School, where Bingham graduated in the spring.

According to Campton Hills police, Liston struck Bingham’s eastbound vehicle head-on in the eastbound lane. Liston’s vehicle then continued westbound and rear-ended the vehicle driven by Kevin Kull. 

Kull's vehicle was then pushed into the eastbound lane and struck by an eastbound vehicle driven by Ryan Anderson of Sycamore. Anderson was not reported injured.

Bingham’s dog, Lucy, also was killed in the crash, the Daily Herald reported, and Bingham’s girlfriend, Erin Pazin, 19, of Elburn, was injured and taken to Delnor Hospital in Geneva.

Nadia Kull, 48, of Sugar Grove, was taken to Delnor as well. She was the passenger in a car driven by her husband, Kevin. Nadia Kull posted comments to Patch’s story on the crash and said her husband escaped injury, although she suffered “some back issues and nasty burns.”

Authorities are awaiting toxicology results to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.

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Related Stories:

2 Dead, 2 Injured in Campton Hills Crash Involving Stolen Vehicle

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