Woman Charged in Fatal Hit-and-Run of Maureen Wener in Highland Park

Woman Charged in Fatal Hit-and-Run of Bicyclist in Highland Park

A 41-year-old woman has been charged in connection with a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a bicyclist in Highland Park earlier this year. Melanie A. Hass, a resident of Mundelein, Illinois, was identified as the driver who struck and killed 49-year-old Maureen Wener on June 2. She has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

The incident took place at the intersection of Deerfield and Piccadilly roads, where Highland Park police and fire crews were called around 12:37 p.m. Wener was found severely injured, but the driver had already fled the scene. Good Samaritans stopped to help Wener, who was then taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Unfortunately, she died shortly after arriving due to blunt force injuries.

An investigation conducted by the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, and Highland Park police led to the identification of Melanie Hass as the driver. She was driving her 2020 Jeep Wrangler at the time of the crash and fled the area without providing aid or reporting the collision to the police.

Hass was taken to Waukegan for a first appearance hearing. No further information about the case was made available.

This incident serves as a reminder to all drivers that they are legally obligated to stop and render aid to any person injured in a crash they are involved in. Hit-and-run accidents not only have severe consequences for the victims but also for the perpetrators who can face serious charges.

Melanie A. Hass now faces the legal consequences of her actions and will have to answer for the death of Maureen Wener. The tragic loss of a life highlights the importance of responsible and accountable driving.