A Cook County Court judge has ruled that a Northbrook man charged with felony reckless homicide and DUI in the death of a Glenview teenager last May continue to be held in jail pending trial, authorities said.
Taeyoung Kim, 21, of 3700 block of Salem Walk in Northbrook, was allegedly driving at least 100 mph on the night of May 12 when he plowed into a vehicle driven by Marko Niketic, 17, a senior at Glenbrook South High School (GBS) in Glenview in 1200-block of East Lake Avenue, killing Niketic and seriously injuring his girlfriend, a passenger in Niketic’s vehicle.
Kim is charged with reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence causing great bodily harm, reckless driving and speeding in the crash. Kim has pleaded not guilty.
On August 15 at the Skokie courthouse Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lorraine Murphy denied Kim’s petition for pre-trial release, meaning Kim will remain in jail until at least his next court appearance on August 27.
Witnesses to the crash described a high-speed collision in which Kim drove his Mustang into Niketic’s late model Mercedes with such force it split Niketic’s car in half, killing him instantly. In the days following the crash, an impromptu memorial consisting of flowers and others items continued to grow near the crash site.
According to Niketic’s LinkedIn page he was a member of the Powerlifting Team at GBS and had worked at the Waterway Carwash in Northbrook.
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.