Erin Hughes and her mother, Grace Ruoppe (left), leave the Circuit Court of Cook County in Skokie today following a court appearance. (Jos (c) M. Osorio / Tribune)
A New Trier High School graduate charged in a hit-and-run crash in Winnetka that left another student seriously injured also was charged Monday with driving under the influence of drugs, authorities said.
The new charges were filed after a blood test confirmed traces of marijuana were in Erin Hughes’ system at the time of the crash, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Diane Sheridan said Monday.
Earlier, Hughes told police that she smoked marijuana the night before she allegedly struck Sarah Goone, 16.
Hughes, 18, of Wilmette, drove off after Goone was struck as she crossed a street May 14 near the school’s Winnetka campus, authorities said.
Hughes did not speak during a brief appearance in a Skokie courtroom with her parents and attorney Barry Spector.
Another charge against Hughes was amended from aggravated leaving the scene of a personal injury accident to simply leaving the scene.
If convicted of the lesser charge, Hughes would face from probation to up to three years in prison, compared with three to seven years in prison under the more serious charge.
“Whatever charges are brought by the state, she’ll deal with,” Spector said. “It’s a tragedy all the way around. She’s concerned about herself obviously, but her main concern is Sarah.”
Goone’s family has set up a Web site to publish updates on her recovery. In the latest entry, the Glencoe teen’s father wrote that the first four days after surgery June 7 were “not fun” but also said that his daughter had been progressing well and that on Saturday she attended a Steve Martin show at Ravinia.
“Sarah told us it felt like the first time she was out in the real world since the accident,” David Goone wrote. “She was not the least bit self conscious about her shaved head or scar, she was just so happy to be out.”
Hughes’ next scheduled court date is July 8.
— Brian Cox
![Volunteers who have been providing care packages and assisting migrants off of buses and onto trains at Wilmette’s Metra Station urged the Wilmette Village Board to not follow neighboring communities by adopting a busing ordinance during Wednesday night’s meeting. Despite concerns, trustees voted unanimously to limit unscheduled bus drop-offs to weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Village Manager Michael Braiman, who told Pioneer Press in early January the village had no plans to move forward with busing ordinances, said increased late-night drop-offs have begun to cause concern. According to the village, 68 buses with approximately 2,700 people have arrived […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PPN-L-WLM-busingordinance-050224-01.jpg?w=467 "Volunteers who have been providing care packages and assisting migrants off of buses and onto trains at Wilmette’s Metra Station urged the Wilmette Village Board to not follow neighboring communities by adopting a busing ordinance during Wednesday night’s meeting. Despite concerns, trustees voted unanimously to limit unscheduled bus drop-offs to weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Village Manager Michael Braiman, who told Pioneer Press in early January the village had no plans to move forward with busing ordinances, said increased late-night drop-offs have begun to cause concern. According to the village, 68 buses with approximately 2,700 people have arrived […]")
