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OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
MICHAEL G. NERHEIM
STATE'S ATTORNEY
August 16, 2019
For Immediate Release
Contact: Lee Filas
(847) 377-3141 – office
(847) 707-6479 – cell
lfilas@lakecountyil.gov
Kenosha man sentenced to 15 years in prison for leaving scene of fatal crash
(Lake County, IL) A Kenosha man was sentenced to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections Wednesday for his involvement in a fatal hit-and-run crash in Zion that killed a 19-year-old from Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
In addition to the prison sentence, Dennis C. Russell Jr., 35, was sentenced to 2 years of mandatory supervised release by Lake County Circuit Judge George Strickland on two felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident. One charge was for leaving the scene of an accident involving death, the second was for leaving the scene of an accident involving injury.
Randall Lee Harrison Jr., 19, was pronounced dead just after midnight on Oct. 21, 2017, on Green Bay Road near 9th Street due to injuries he received in the crash. A second person was injured.
“I appreciate all of the hard work put in on this case by the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team, and our trial team of Danielle Pascucci, Suzanne Willett, and Kristian Nordby,” said Lake County State’s Attorney Michael G. Nerheim. “Our condolences continue to go out to the family of Randall Harrison.”
Russell is required to serve at least 50 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for mandatory supervised release. He will receive 513 days credit for time already served in Lake County Jail while awaiting trial.
Authorities said Harrison and a friend were riding bikes on Green Bay Road when they were hit by a vehicle driven by Russell. Authorities said Russell knew he violently struck the two men with the convertible Chrysler Sebring, but left Harrison and the friend laying in a grassy area off the roadway.
Authorities said the impact of the crash was violent enough to throw Harrison several hundred feet through the air, and knocked him out of his shoes and socks.
After the crash, Russell drove to Fritz’s Corner in Zion and parked his vehicle behind a large commercial truck. He sat there for about two minutes before putting the top of the vehicle up and driving away.
Authorities determined Russell drove the vehicle to a cornfield near the third hole of Big Oaks Golf Course in Pleasant Prairie, where he stripped the vehicle of his belongings and took off its license plates.
The car was recovered five days later. Police used the vehicle identification number to track the vehicle back to Russell.
Experts testified that DNA matching Russell was found on the steering wheel, and DNA on the hood of the car was a probable match for Harrison.
Russell was found guilty during a jury trial in June. His sentencing took place Aug. 14.
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Lake County State's Attorney's Office 18 N. County Street Waukegan, IL 60085 Phone: (847) 377-3000
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