Chicago Sun-Times - All2020-01-14T14:02:28-06:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/rss/stream/208300412020-01-14T14:02:28-06:002020-01-14T18:59:14-06:00Rev. Paul Burak: DUI charge dropped against retired priest accused in fatal Orland Park hit-and-run
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<img class="Image" alt="The Rev. Paul Burak" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3e5be60/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1104x620+0+84/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F6V8TTH38L22xB2TCJAOZDtELTI8%3D%2F0x0%3A1104x788%2F1104x788%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28552x394%3A553x395%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19601295%2FThe_Rev._Paul_Burak.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2f1d2a8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1104x620+0+84/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F6V8TTH38L22xB2TCJAOZDtELTI8%3D%2F0x0%3A1104x788%2F1104x788%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28552x394%3A553x395%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19601295%2FThe_Rev._Paul_Burak.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Rev. Paul Burak</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Orland Park police arrest photo</p></div></div>
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<p>Cook County prosecutors have dropped a DUI charge against a retired priest accused of running over two Catholic school teachers — killing one of them — while leaving a staff Christmas party in Orland Park last month.</p><p>Court records show that the aggravated DUI charge against Rev. Paul Burak was dropped on Jan. 7. </p><p>Burak, 73, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the remaining charges of causing and leaving the scene of a deadly accident in the Dec. 4 hit-and-run that claimed the life of Margaret “Rone” Leja, according to court records.</p><p>The most serious charge Burak was indicted on — leaving the scene of a fatal accident — carries a stiffer penalty and is a higher class felony than the DUI count that was dropped, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.</p><p>The felony count for leaving the scene of a fatal accident carries a sentence of between four to 15 years in prison, if convicted. The aggravated DUI charge that was dropped carries a sentence of three to 14 years. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatRight>
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<img class="Image" alt="Margaret “Rone” Leja" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1317ca/2147483647/strip/true/crop/703x395+0+246/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fg6oJbKFozAdijW3J2W64ojX9v3Y%3D%2F0x0%3A703x887%2F703x887%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28352x444%3A353x445%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19432520%2Funnamed.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f9a4d32/2147483647/strip/true/crop/703x395+0+246/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fg6oJbKFozAdijW3J2W64ojX9v3Y%3D%2F0x0%3A703x887%2F703x887%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28352x444%3A353x445%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19432520%2Funnamed.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Margaret “Rone” Leja</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Archdiocese or Chicago</p></div></div>
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</div><p>In an emailed statement, Burak’s attorney Sarah Toney said, “The prosecutors have discretion to present any evidence they have to the grand jury. In this case, it resulted in an indictment for leaving the scene of an accident.”</p><p>Orland Park police Chief Timothy McCarthy agreed with the state’s attorney’s office decision to drop the DUI charge.</p><p>“The state’s attorney didn’t feel there was enough evidence there, and that’s probably the case,” McCarthy told the Chicago Sun-Times Tuesday. “He went into custody more than 24 hours later, so field sobriety tests weren’t valid.”</p><p>At the <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/12/7/21000212/priest-charged-orland-park-hit-run-st-michael-rone-leja" target="_blank" >initial bail hearing in December</a>, prosecutors said Burak told police that he took medication for his Parkinson’s disease and blacked out after having a Manhattan and a glass of wine at the holiday party.</p><p>He allegedly told police he didn’t see the women and thought he hit a curb as he was pulling out from the Square Celt Ale House & Grill’s parking lot onto an access road, where the two women were walking to their parked cars. Burak continued driving without stopping, prosecutors said.</p><p>The women, both teachers at St. Michael School in Orland Park, were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where Leja, 61, was pronounced dead. Elizabeth Kosteck, 54, was seriously injured and released from the hospital the next morning.</p><p>Prosecutors said a man driving behind Burak saw the crash and followed him into a nearby parking lot and told him to go back to where the women were hit, prosecutors said.</p><p>Burak drove back to the Square Celt parking lot, where police were investigating, prosecutors said. Officers stopped him, but Burak never got out of his car and did not report his alleged role in the crash.</p><p>Another priest then saw Burak hit another car’s bumper while making a three-point turn in the lot and offered to drive him home, prosecutors said. That priest drove Burak’s car while another couple from the party followed behind.</p><p>The next day, officers identified the gold Buick as Burak’s and found the car in his garage with a damaged front license plate holder, which matched remnants of a plate holder found at the crash scene, prosecutors said.</p><p>Burak, of Palos Heights, was arrested two days after the crash and ordered held on a $10,000 bail. He was released on bond that day, and was ordered to stay at home on electronic monitoring.</p><p>Burak retired as a priest at St. Michael Parish in 2018.</p><p>In December, Leja’s brother and executor of her estate sued Burak for negligence.</p><p>Through a family lawyer, Leja’s family released a statement saying they filed the lawsuit “in an attempt to get truthful, forthcoming and honest answers to the many unanswered questions they have regarding their beloved sisters senseless death.”</p><p>Burak is due in court again March 18.</p><p><i>Contributing: Andy Grimm</i><br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2020/1/14/21065825/margaret-rone-leja-paul-burak-dui-charge-dropped-orland-park-elizabeth-kosteckDavid Struett2019-12-09T17:06:56-06:002020-01-14T14:52:29-06:00Paul Burak DUI: A question for the holidays, ‘Are you OK to drive?’
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Rev. Paul Burak</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Orland Park police</p></div></div>
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<p>“Are you OK to drive?”</p><p>As a retired priest in Orland Park <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/12/7/21000212/priest-charged-orland-park-hit-run-st-michael-rone-leja" target="_blank" >left a church Christmas party</a> at a restaurant in Orland Park last Wednesday, at least one person, and possibly others, asked the priest that question in so many words.</p><p>Was he fit to drive? </p><p>The 73-year-old retired priest, Paul Burak, assured them he was fine.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-floatRight><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-f90000" name="module-f90000"></a>
<div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">Editorials bug</div>
<div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><h2>Editorials</h2></div>
</div><p>Then he got in his car, hit another car as he backed out of his parking spot, and drove away.</p><p>Seconds later, prosecutors say, Burak struck two women — both teachers in the church’s elementary school — as they walked to their own cars. </p><p>One woman, Margaret “Rone” Leja, was killed. The other woman, Elizabeth Kosteck, was seriously injured. </p><p>This tragedy is so familiar and common, which is why we are feeling so frustrated. </p><p>We don’t know for sure that Burak was drunk, though he has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. But we know drunk drivers kill — and are killed themselves — by the thousands each year in the United States, often right after after they have shaken off that most telling of questions: Are you OK to drive?</p><p>Every day, <a class="Link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html" target="_blank" >an average of 29 people</a> are killed in drunk driving crashes — one person every 50 minutes. </p><p>We also know that the holidays put more drunk drivers on the road. </p><p>This editorial, then, is simply a holiday season reminder that we all do our best to keep people off the roads, including ourselves, when they have no business being behind the wheel of a car.</p><p>Ask that key question: Are you OK to drive? Ask it slowly and quietly, not in a confrontational way. Ask for the car keys if you have any doubts. Suggest another way to get home. Call the police if you must.</p><p>If somebody asks you if you’re OK to drive, answer honestly if you are not: “No. I could use a ride.” Take a cab or an Uber. Arrange for a ride in advance if you know you’ll be drinking — or under the influence of any substance.</p><p>As of Jan. 1, recreational marijuana will be legal in Illinois, and we can’t help but worry about what hospital emergency rooms will look like after midnight on New Year’s Eve. </p><p>We want to stress that we are not prejudging Burak. We don’t know all the facts.</p><p>Burak served honorably as a Catholic priest for 49 years, including his last nine as the pastor at St. Michael’s parish in Orland Park, where the two teachers worked. He received a lifetime service award from Cardinal Francis George in 2014.</p><p>Burak’s attorneys told a judge that he suffers from Parkinson’s disease and glaucoma and drank only a Manhattan and a glass of wine at the church party. </p><p>But somebody asked Burak that night: “Are you OK to drive?” And he said yes. </p><p>How often should the answer to that question really be “No”? </p><p><i>Send letters to </i><a class="Link" href="mailto:letters@suntimes.com" target="_blank" ><i>letters@suntimes.com</i></a><i>.</i></p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/12/9/21003410/paul-burak-margaret-rone-leja-elizabeth-kosteck-st-michaels-church-orland-park-drunk-drivingCST Editorial Board2019-12-07T10:19:56-06:002020-01-14T14:52:49-06:00Retired priest Paul Burak charged with DUI in hit-and-run that killed St. Michael schoolteacher
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<img class="Image" alt="The Rev. Paul Burak" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2abc172/2147483647/strip/true/crop/760x427+0+184/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FeGTDdZygvEtpDqRuPf6-OH2G5kw%3D%2F0x0%3A760x795%2F760x795%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28327x316%3A328x317%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438827%2FScreen_Shot_2019_12_07_at_11.43.17_AM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5430845/2147483647/strip/true/crop/760x427+0+184/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FeGTDdZygvEtpDqRuPf6-OH2G5kw%3D%2F0x0%3A760x795%2F760x795%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28327x316%3A328x317%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438827%2FScreen_Shot_2019_12_07_at_11.43.17_AM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Rev. Paul Burak</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Orland Park police</p></div></div>
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<p>A retired priest accused of a drunkenly running over a pair of parish teachers and driving off without providing help was asked if he was OK to drive shortly before leaving a staff holiday party earlier this week in Orland Park, Cook County prosecutors said at the Rev. Paul Burak’s bail hearing Saturday. </p><p>Burak, 73, who assured them he was fine to drive, now faces charges of aggravated driving under the influence and leaving the scene of the fatal crash. </p><p>St. Michael teachers Margaret “Rone” Leja and Elizabeth Kosteck were struck as they walked to their cars just before 8 p.m. Wednesday after leaving the <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2019/12/5/20996786/margaret-rone-leja-dies-elizabeth-kosteck-hit-run-orland-park-square-celt-ale-house-st-michael" target="_blank" >party at the Square Celt Ale House & Grill</a> near the Orland Square Mall, prosecutors said. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Margaret “Rone” Leja (left) and Elizabeth Kosteck" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/69db9af/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x718+0+1/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FEPOnVLJeAAO_rNh2Q5reSatszL4%3D%2F0x0%3A1280x720%2F1280x720%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28640x360%3A641x361%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438703%2Fstmichael.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2683d9d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x718+0+1/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FEPOnVLJeAAO_rNh2Q5reSatszL4%3D%2F0x0%3A1280x720%2F1280x720%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28640x360%3A641x361%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438703%2Fstmichael.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Margaret “Rone” Leja (left) and Elizabeth Kosteck</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Archdiocese of Chicago</p></div></div>
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</div><p>After leaving the party, prosecutors said Burak got into his gold 2016 Buick Regal, hit a parked car while backing out of his spot and then struck the two women as they walked on an access road. </p><p>Both women were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where Leja, 61, was pronounced dead, according to Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy. Kosteck, 54, was seriously injured and released from the hospital the next morning.</p><p>Burak, of Palos Heights, appeared at the hearing Saturday, where Judge Arthur Wesley Willis set his bail at $10,000, coupled with electronic home monitoring as the case continues. </p><p>Willis cited Burak’s lifetime of service in his decision to set the low bail amount. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Orland Park&nbsp;Police Chief Tim McCarthy announced charges Saturday against retired St. Michael priest Paul Burak in connection with Wednesday’s fatal hit-and-run crash in Orland Park." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5a3f63d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FoncmJIaJV5qxfOkPZIBxOP2WQS0%3D%2F0x0%3A4032x3024%2F4032x3024%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282016x1512%3A2017x1513%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438765%2FTim_McCarthy.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2c18e10/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FoncmJIaJV5qxfOkPZIBxOP2WQS0%3D%2F0x0%3A4032x3024%2F4032x3024%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282016x1512%3A2017x1513%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438765%2FTim_McCarthy.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy announced charges Saturday against retired St. Michael priest Paul Burak in connection with Wednesday’s fatal hit-and-run crash in Orland Park.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Jake Wittich / Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Joined by three private attorneys, Burak nodded, but seemed to have trouble seeing the judge and didn’t look directly at him. One of his attorneys said Burak has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and glaucoma.</p><p>“I do believe he is devastated. The family is devastated as well,” Willis said. “But I cannot release you without conditions or monetary bail.”</p><p>Prosecutors said surveillance video showed Burak’s car leaving the parking lot and driving down the access road just before and after the women were hit, but the crash itself was obstructed from view.</p><p>A man driving behind Burak saw the crash and followed him to the access road’s dead end, where Burak stopped for about 20 seconds, prosecutors said. The other driver got out of his car and walked toward Burak, but Burak drove into a nearby Panda Express parking lot.</p><p>The man followed, took a picture of Burak’s license plate and told him to go back to where the women were hit, prosecutors said.</p><p>Burak drove back to the Square Celt parking lot, where police were already investigating, prosecutors said. Officers stopped him, but Burak never got out of his car and did not report his in role the crash.</p><p>A St. Michael’s priest then saw Burak hit another car’s bumper while trying to make a three-point turn in the lot and offered to drive him home, prosecutors said. The priest drove Burak’s car while another couple from the party followed behind. At one point, the priest had to pull over and find Burak’s address on his insurance card because Burak said he couldn’t remember it, prosecutors said.</p><p>The next day, officers recognized Burak’s gold Buick in surveillance videos and ran its plates, prosecutors said. They searched his garage and found the car’s front license plate holder had been damaged, which matched remnants of a plate holder found at the crash scene.</p><p>Burak told police that he takes medication for his Parkinson’s and blacked out after having a Manhattan and a glass of wine at the party, prosecutors said. Burak allegedly said he knew the women were hit, but didn’t know how and thought he had hit a curb the night before.</p><p>He was arrested Friday afternoon, McCarthy said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="The Rev. Paul Burak." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/daac682/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+848/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ftwd9MHEG1RW_KCbetM1VQ4ZBjcU%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x2707%2F1800x2707%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x1354%3A901x1355%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438799%2FBurak_FrPaul_school_photo.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f79e0ad/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1800x1010+0+848/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ftwd9MHEG1RW_KCbetM1VQ4ZBjcU%3D%2F0x0%3A1800x2707%2F1800x2707%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28900x1354%3A901x1355%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19438799%2FBurak_FrPaul_school_photo.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Rev. Paul Burak.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Archdiocese of Chicago</p></div></div>
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</div><p>“We extend our sincerest condolences to the victims and those close to them,” Burak’s defense attorney Cambry McNabb said after the hearing. “This is a tragedy that has a lot of layers of grief, and we acknowledge that and wish everyone peace that’s been affected by this.”</p><p>Burak’s attorneys said he had no criminal history, 49 years of service as a Catholic priest and had received a lifetime of service award from Cardinal Francis George in 2014.</p><p>He was the pastor at St. Michael from 2009 until his retirement last year, according to church’s website. He also previously served as pastor at St. Catherine of Genoa and Our Lady of the Ridge parishes.</p><p>Leja started working as a technology coach at St. Michael in March, according to the Archdiocese of Chicago. She previously taught at Mount Assisi Academy in Lemont.</p><p>Kosteck teaches 3rd grade and has been at St. Michael since 2005.</p><p>“As a community we continue to grieve the loss of Ms. Leja and the injury to Mrs. Kosteck,” the archdiocese said in a statement. “We again offer our heartfelt condolences, support and sympathy to their families and are keeping them and all affected by this tragedy in our prayers.”</p><p>St. Michael Principal Paul Smith posted on the school’s website that its officials were cooperating with Orland Park police and would have counselors available for students and staff next week.</p><p>A visitation for Leja will be held from 3–9 p.m. Monday at Vandenberg Funeral Home, 17248 Harlem Ave., in Tinley Park. </p><p>The funeral home will host a prayer service at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, followed by a 12:15 p.m. mass at St. Michael Church, 14327 Highland Ave.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/12/7/21000212/priest-charged-orland-park-hit-run-st-michael-rone-lejaJake Wittich2019-12-06T23:59:15-06:002020-01-14T14:54:08-06:00Orland Park hit-and-run: Arrest made in connection with crash that killed teacher, injured another
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<img class="Image" alt="Margaret “Rone” Leja" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2680da2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x606+0+70/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F9CgssCVpXWWXA-_VZgNndjwWtO4%3D%2F0x0%3A1080x746%2F1080x746%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28540x373%3A541x374%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19432525%2FScreen_Shot_2019_12_05_at_8.47.01_AM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c7867e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x606+0+70/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F9CgssCVpXWWXA-_VZgNndjwWtO4%3D%2F0x0%3A1080x746%2F1080x746%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28540x373%3A541x374%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19432525%2FScreen_Shot_2019_12_05_at_8.47.01_AM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Margaret “Rone” Leja</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Archdiocese of Chicago</p></div></div>
</figure>
<p>A person has been taken into custody in connection with a hit-and-run crash in Orland Park that left one Catholic elementary school teacher dead and another injured.</p><p>Orland Park police said in a statement Friday night they had “the driver” in custody but did not provide additional details.</p><p>Police said more information on the arrest would be released at a news conference Saturday morning.</p><p>About 8 p.m. Wednesday, the women were <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2019/12/5/20996786/margaret-rone-leja-dies-elizabeth-kosteck-hit-run-orland-park-square-celt-ale-house-st-michael" target="_blank" >leaving the Square Celt Ale House & Grill</a> at 39 Orland Square Drive near the Orland Park Mall when a driver turned left from a parking lot and struck them, police said.</p><p>They were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where Margaret “Rone” Leja, 61, was pronounced dead and Elizabeth Kosteck, 54, was listed in serious condition, police said. </p><p>The women, both teachers at St. Micheal School in Orland Park, were leaving a staff holiday party, the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a statement.</p><p>Leja started working as a technology coach at St. Michael in March 2019, the archdiocese said. She previously taught at Mount Assisi Academy in Lemont.</p><p>Kosteck teaches 3rd grade and has been at St. Michael since 2005, the archdiocese said. </p><p>Investigators were looking for a suspect driving a light-colored vehicle, police said. <br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/12/6/20999834/arrest-orland-park-hit-run-left-teacher-dead-another-hurtSun-Times Wire2019-12-05T08:47:52-06:002020-01-14T14:54:15-06:00Orland Park teacher Margaret “Rone” Leja killed in hit-and-run, second St. Michael School teacher injured: police
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<img class="Image" alt="Margaret “Rone” Leja" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2680da2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x606+0+70/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F9CgssCVpXWWXA-_VZgNndjwWtO4%3D%2F0x0%3A1080x746%2F1080x746%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28540x373%3A541x374%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19432525%2FScreen_Shot_2019_12_05_at_8.47.01_AM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c7867e1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x606+0+70/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F9CgssCVpXWWXA-_VZgNndjwWtO4%3D%2F0x0%3A1080x746%2F1080x746%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28540x373%3A541x374%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19432525%2FScreen_Shot_2019_12_05_at_8.47.01_AM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Margaret “Rone” Leja</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Archdiocese of Chicago</p></div></div>
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<p>Two women struck Wednesday night in a hit-and-run crash that left one dead and another injured were Catholic elementary school teachers leaving a staff holiday party in Orland Park, according to school officials.</p><p>Police warned the driver Thursday morning to turn himself or herself in.</p><p>“If you are driver of that vehicle we WILL find you,” Orland Park police wrote on Facebook.</p><p>About 8 p.m., the women were leaving the Square Celt Ale House & Grill at 39 Orland Square Dr. near the Orland Park Mall when a driver turned left from the restaurant’s parking lot and struck the women a few feet from the curb as they walked to their parked cars, Orland Park police chief Tim McCarthy said at a news conference.</p><p>The women taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where a 61-year-old woman was pronounced dead and a 54-year-old woman was listed in serious condition, police said.</p><p>The driver “should’ve seen these people and should have avoided them,” McCarthy said. “There’s no reason for this accident whatsoever.”</p><p>The women were both teachers at St. Michael School elementary in Orland Park leaving a staff holiday party, the Archdiocese of Chicago said in a statement.</p><p>The archdiocese identified the teacher who died as Margaret “Rone” Leja, who started working as a technology coach at St. Michael in March 2019. </p><p>Leja previously taught at Mount Assisi Academy in Lemont, the school’s alumni association wrote on online.</p><p>The other woman, Elizabeth Kosteck, teaches 3rd grade, and has been at the school since 2005, the archdiocese said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-floatRight>
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<img class="Image" alt="Elizabeth&nbsp;Kosteck" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/32b9a9c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+185/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FuHLlpLHknZyrG4b4WRWUrd5gzPc%3D%2F0x0%3A480x640%2F480x640%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28240x320%3A241x321%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19433101%2Fst._mike_liz_kosteck_3rd_grade.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8473142/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x269+0+185/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FuHLlpLHknZyrG4b4WRWUrd5gzPc%3D%2F0x0%3A480x640%2F480x640%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28240x320%3A241x321%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F19433101%2Fst._mike_liz_kosteck_3rd_grade.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Elizabeth Kosteck</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Archdiocese of Chicago</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Faculty would be meeting privately Thursday to grieve “the loss of their dear friend and colleague,” the archdiocese said.</p><p>Police are looking for a suspect who was driving a light-colored vehicle.</p><p>“We fortunately had some good evidence to start with,” McCarthy said. Police were examining surveillance video from the scene.</p><p>Anyone with information is asked to contact Orland Park police at 708-349-4111 or crimetips@orlandpark.org.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2019/12/5/20996786/margaret-rone-leja-dies-elizabeth-kosteck-hit-run-orland-park-square-celt-ale-house-st-michaelSun-Times Wire