Off-duty sheriff’s officer dies in crash

In the thirdtraffic fatality of a law enforcement officer in two days, a crash early Saturday morning has claimed the life of an offduty Cook County sheriff’s officer near his home in suburban Chicago Ridge, officials said.

Reckless homicide chargeswere filed Saturday afternoon against a juvenile following the two- car crash, which happened shortly after midnight in the 10100 block of South Virginia Avenue in Chicago Ridge. The 16-year-old boy was also cited with having no valid driver’s license, improper lane usage and driving too fast for conditions, police said. Electronic monitoring Investigator JamesKoch, 51, was driving to his home in Chicago Ridge when the crash happened, said Sophia Ansari, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman. Koch had worked a day shift on Friday but wasn’t coming directly from work when it happened.

“Investigator Koch has been with our office for more than 28 years. Hewas an incredible colleague and friend to so many. Our hearts are broken for his family, his friends, and all whowere fortunateenough toknowhim,’’ Ansari said in a statement.

Officers from the Chicago Ridge Police Department responded to the crash at 10130 S. Virginia Ave., where they found “heavily damaged” vehicles, according to Chicago Ridge police Chief Robert Pyznarski.

Two different angles of the crash, which happened at a curve in the road, were captured on camera from one of the businesses in the area, Pyznarski said.

It was rainy about 12:05 a.m. when the teen, of Oak Lawn, who had only a learner’s permit, was traveling southwestbound on Virginia, going“way too fast ’’ when he hit a curve, lost control of the car and broadsided the driver’s side of Koch’s northeastbound car, “crushing’’ thedoorand trapping him inside, Pyznarski said. Koch’s car, a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier, “flew’’ about 30 feet, landing on a parkway of one of the businesses.

Emergency crews from the Chicago Ridge Fire Department rushed to the scene and had to cut the door of Koch’s car to get him out.

“He had a pulse,’’ Pyznarski said, but Koch was not able to say anything because he was unconscious andwas pronounced dead at the hospital.

The boy was the only person in the 2015 Nissan he was driving, but his friends were following him in another vehicle.

The boy, who had not been impaired by alcohol or drugs, was taken to the hospital and then transferred to the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, on Chicago’s West Side, where he will appear for a bond hearing Sunday, Pyznarski said.

“This is a tragedy,’’ Pyznarski said. “The only thing to say is slow down. Slow down. There’s no hurry to get anywhere.’’

Illinois State Police Trooper Gerald Ellis died early Saturday morning in a head-on collision with a driver headed the wrong way on Interstate 94. Illinois State Police Trooper Christopher Lambert was fatally struck in January while pulledoveronthe sideof the road, as was Troop er Brooke Jones-Story, whowas killed Thursday.

Frank Vaisvilas is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown.