Romeoville Man Guilty of Reckless Homicide in 2008 Crash

A 24-year-old Romeoville man remains free on bond after being found guilty of reckless homicide in the 2008 death of a Lockport teen.

Tomasz Maciaszek, of the 1000 block of Monterey Drive, was driving anywhere between 68 and 79 mph in a 35 mph speed zone and weaving in and out of traffic just before 17-year-old Christina Jungkans was killed on May 9, 2008, Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak said Friday.

The families of both the victim and Maciaszek packed the courtroom Friday as the the judge made her ruling.

“The way you were driving, you didn’t see [Jungkans’] car, and as a result you hit [her] car, and as a result Ms. Junkgans is deceased,” Bertani-Tomczak told Maciaszek in court.

Jungkans, a junior at Romeoville High School, was attempting to make a left turn onto 135th Street/Romeo Road from Hale Avenue when Maciaszek’s Mazda struck her vehicle.

Bertani-Tomczak said several witnesses testified that Maciaszek had been driving at a high rate of speed and had passed several cars on the right just before the fatal crash. One driver reported seeing Maciaszek pass four vehicles prior to the crash, and was attempting to pass a fifth car just as Jungkans slowly edged out to make a left turn. A police accident reconstructionist put Jungkan’s speed at 13 to 15 mph, the judge said.

Jungkans was pronounced dead Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital shortly after the crash. An obituary for the teen lists her as an exceptional student and active member of the MCJROTC drill team at RHS, as well as an active member of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church.

Maciaszek was arrested in March 2009 and charged with reckless homicide.

Bertani-Tomczak denied prosecutors’ request that Maciaszek’s bond be revoked on the condition that he surrender his passport immediately. Prosecutors noted that Maciaszek has left the country since the crash and is still in possession of his passport, and also cited what they called a “quite alarming” traffic history, including convictions for speeding and leaving the scene of an accident.

Attorney Terrence Wallace insisted that the Polish-born Maciaszek is not a flight risk, noting that he has traveled to his birthplace since the pretrial phase began but returned to Romeoville to face trial.

“He’s ready to face the music,” Wallace said.

Maciaszek’s license has been suspended since his 2009 arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 4.