Island Lake man killed in hit-and-run identified as Wauconda High graduate

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the vehicle that struck and killed a 24-year-old Island Lake man Friday night on Roberts Road in unincorporated Island Lake.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office later Monday identified the deceased man as Austin Stanek.

According to a department release provided Monday, an unknown make and model white vehicle struck one person in a group of pedestrians walking on or near the side of the road on the 4300 block of Roberts Road about 10:48 p.m. Friday.

The force of the impact threw the victim into the ditch, according to the release, and the driver did not stop after the crash.

Stanek died of blunt-force injuries from the crash, the coroner’s office said.

According to an online obituary, Stanek was a 2018 Wauconda High School graduate who loved sports and “took pride in his work at D’Ascanio Custom, where he worked alongside his cousin, friend, and mentor, Mark D’Ascanio.”

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Island Lake Police Department and Wauconda Fire District responded to the scene. The victim was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in the Barrington area where he was pronounced dead, according to the release.

Debris from the suspect vehicle’s front and right side were collected at the scene. Anyone with additional information in the crash, the driver or the vehicle involved is asked to contact the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

An investigation continues by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

According to Stanek’s obituary, he “had a knack for bringing others together, whether they were teammates or just friends hanging out,” according to the obituary. “His easygoing nature made everyone feel welcome, and it was impossible to be around him without feeling his positive energy.”

Survivors listed in the obituary include Stanek’s parents Paul and Carrie, his brother Paul, three of his grandparents, his dog Koda and and large extended family,

A visitation for Stanek is planned for Friday, what would have been his 25th birthday, starting at 3 p.m., with a service to follow at 7:30 p.m., Friday at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave./Route 176 in Crystal Lake.