OP_012320

6 | January 23, 2020 | the orland Park Prairie news
OPPrairiedaily.com
DUI charge dropped against retired
priest accused of fatal hit-and-run
Paul Burak indicted
on four other
charges, pleads
not guilty
Bill Jones, Editor
The aggravated
DUI charge
has been
dropped in a
case against
a retired
St. Michael Burak
priest allegedly
responsible for a hitand-run
that killed one of
the parish’s teachers and
injured another.
Paul Burak, 73, of 82
Canterbury Court in Palos
Heights, was charged in
early December with aggravated
DUI and leaving
the scene of a fatal
accident, both felonies,
but the former charge was
dropped, while the latter
stands, as of Jan. 14.
Officially, Burak was indicted
on charges of leaving
the scene of a motor
vehicle accident involving
death, leaving the scene of
a motor vehicle accident
involving injury and two
counts of accident involving
injury or death, according
to a spokesperson for
the Cook County State’s
Attorney’s Office. Burak
on Jan. 14 pleaded not
guilty to those charges.
“After a thorough review
of the case, we did not seek
an indictment for the offense
of aggravated DUI,
as the evidence and facts
were insufficient to support
that charge,” the State’s
Attorney’s Office said in a
statement. “The defendant
was indicted with the most
serious offenses, including
leaving the scene of a
motor vehicle accident involving
death, based on the
law and supported by the
evidence.”
When asked for comment
on the change, Orland
Park Police Chief
Tim McCarthy said it was
the State’s Attorney’s call,
and “likely they didn’t feel
they had enough evidence
to convict” on the DUI
charge. He noted the four
other charges are all felonies.
Burak is next to appear
March 8 for a status hearing
before Judge Kerry
Kennedy, Room 110, at the
Cook County Courthouse
for the Fifth Municipal
District in Bridgeview.
Burak attended St. Michael’s
parish Christmas
party the evening of Dec. 4
at Square Celt, after which
he allegedly struck both
Margaret “Rone” Leja,
a 61-year-old technology
teacher at the Catholic
school from Tinley Park,
and Elizabeth Kosteck, a
54-year-old third-grade
teacher at the school,
around 8 p.m., as they
were crossing a service
road north of the restaurant.
Burak reportedly then
left the scene and did not
contact police.
Both women were transported
to Silver Cross
Hospital in New Lenox.
Kosteck was treated and
released the next day for
what the State’s Attorney’s
Office identified as
a broken wrist, soreness
and bruising to her shoulder.
Leja was pronounced
deceased at 8:33 p.m., according
to the Will County
Coroner’s Office.
According to a bond
court proffer filed Dec. 7 by
the State’s Attorney, Burak
acknowledged to police he
had a cocktail and a glass
of wine, and felt “lightheaded”
after he drank
them. He said he thinks he
may have “blacked out”
from drinking too much,
because he does that sometimes,
per the court document.
He claimed he does
not remember the incident
and thought he hit a curb,
the State’s Attorney said.
A witness reportedly
asked Burak if he was OK
to drive before he left the
party. Burak allegedly got
into his car anyway, struck
another vehicle while
backing out of a parking
spot and then hit the women
while he turned left out
of the parking lot onto the
service drive, while the
women had their backs
turned to his vehicle. He
accelerated after impact,
prosecutors said.
Another witness reportedly
followed Burak’s vehicle
westbound to a dead
end on the access road and
watched him stay there for
20 seconds, but when the
witness tried to approach
Burak allegedly began
to drive again, passing
through a drive-thru lane.
That witness approached
the vehicle on foot, took
a picture of the license
plate and suggested Burak
return to the scene of the
crash, according to the
document.
Burak reportedly returned
to the Square Celt
parking lot but did not exit
his vehicle or make any effort
to speak with police.
Another priest then witnessed
Burak try to make
a three-point turn and
strike another vehicle, per
the document. That priest
reportedly drove Burak
home in Burak’s vehicle.
The Cook County State’s
Attorney noted Burak’s
vehicle had damage to the
front license plate holder
consistent with remnants
of one left at the scene,
where the women were hit.
Witnesses identified Burak
as the driver, prosecutors
said.
Sarah Toney, a representative
of the Toney Law
Firm representing Burak,
said Burak has Parkinson’s
disease and glaucoma.
Burak had a valid license,
per the court document.
Police confirm report of shots fired on Interstate 80
Bill Jones, Editor
Police confirmed a social media
report of a shooting incident
that took place Jan. 15 on eastbound
Interstate 80 near Harlem
Avenue.
There were no reports of
any injuries, according to Illinois
State Police Trooper
DeAnn Falat, who serves in
District 5.
Family of St. Michael
teacher killed in December
files suit against Burak
Will O’Brien
Freelance Reporter
The incident reportedly took
place around 4:51 a.m., according
to Falat.
“It is still under investigation,
The family of the St.
Michael School teacher
killed after being hit by a
vehicle in early December
has filed a wrongful
death lawsuit against
Paul Burak, the retired
St. Michael priest facing
criminal charges over the
alleged incident.
Woodridge-based Shannon
Law Group filed the
suit on behalf of William
Byrne, the brother and
estate administrator for
the late Margaret “Rone”
Leja. The 61-year-old
technology teacher died
Dec. 4 after leaving St.
Michael’s parish Christmas
party at Square Celt,
when Burak allegedly
struck her and Elizabeth
Kosteck — a 54-year-old
third-grade teacher at the
school who sustained injuries
— with a vehicle he
was driving.
Byrne and Leja’s other
family members, speaking
through their attorney,
said they filed the lawsuit
to prompt the Archdiocese
of Chicago to provide
“truthful, forthcoming
and honest answers to the
many unanswered questions
they have regarding
their beloved sister’s
senseless death.”
As of press time, the
archdiocese had not responded
to requests for
comment.
“As a family, we continue
to grieve the loss of
our sister Margaret ‘Rone’
Leja,” read a family statement
provided by Shannon
Law Group. “We
have been touched by the
outpouring of support and
love for Rone by members
of our community.
“In the last couple of
weeks, Rone’s friends
and family have fondly
remembered her kindness,
her ever-present smile and
her selfless years of service
as a Catholic schoolteacher
throughout south
suburban Chicago. Her
dedication and passion for
her students will undoubtedly
leave a lasting impression
on everyone who
witnessed it. Her friends
remember Rone as a loyal,
trusting and fun-loving
friend that consistently
put others before herself.
“Though we feel exceedingly
grateful for
the many years we have
shared with Rone, we remain
heartbroken that she
was needlessly taken far
too early. This horrible
crash reinforces the need
for continued diligence in
preventing impaired driving
and encouraging sensible
decision-making.”
The suit was filed in
the Circuit Court of Cook
County on Dec. 20.
and there is no further information
at this time,” Falat wrote
in an email to The Orland Park
Prairie.