A Naperville woman has been charged with reckless homicide in a motorcycle crash that resulted in the death of a 29-year-old woman.
Adrienne Wheeler, 37, has also been charged with aggravated reckless driving, failure to signal when required, improper lane usage, and improper U-turn on roadway, according to a news release by the Aurora Police Department and Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Crash happened during what police call “unsafe” U-turn attempt
On May 1, around 5 p.m., police were called to the intersection of Butterfield Road and Savannah Drive, after getting a report about a traffic crash that involved a motorcycle.
An investigation showed that a 1990 Harley Davidson motorcycle was hit when a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban headed eastbound on Butterfield tried to make a U-turn on the roadway.
Authorities say Wheeler, who was driving the Suburban, had been making a food delivery at the time. She had meant to turn left earlier to get onto westbound Butterfield Road, but was delayed by a car in front of her, so she switched lanes and continued eastbound.
Seconds later, police say, Wheeler attempted what they called an “unsafe” U-turn from the curbside lane, to get to westbound Butterfield. At that time, the Harley was traveling on the median lane of eastbound Butterfield, and was hit in the U-turn maneuver.
Nicole Ross, 29, who was a passenger on the motorcycle, was ejected in the crash, and then hit by a third vehicle which was heading west on Butterfield. She was taken to a local hospital, and died from her injuries the next day, as reported in a May press release.
Arrest made on Oct. 2
Police say a warrant for Wheeler’s arrest was issued Sept. 19. She was taken into custody Oct. 2, and released the following day after a pretrial hearing.
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