Man charged with leaving fatal crash on I-80 near New Lenox

A man is accused of leaving the scene of a fatal 2018 crash near southwest suburban New Lenox.

Carrifthian N. Lester, 38, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two felony counts of failure to report a crash and failure to stop after a crash, Illinois State Police said in a statement.

Illinois State Police

On Jan. 18, 2018, Lester was allegedly driving a vehicle that hit an eastbound Kia Soul and caused the Kia to stop in the center lane of I-80 east of I-355, state police said. Lester allegedly drove off.

Another vehicle driving eastbound crashed into the stopped Kia and ejected the Kia’s driver, Aaron Scofield, 31, state police said. Scofield was later pronounced dead at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. The Toyota’s driver was taken to a hospital.

An investigation identified Lester as the driver of the vehicle that initially collided with Scofield’s Kia, state police said.

Lester, of Calumet City, is being held at the Will County Jail on $150,000 bond, and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 26, state police said.