Streator man accused of fatal hit-and-run

A Streator man is charged in the fatal hit-and-run crash south of LaSalle. Sheriff’s deputies arrested 26-year old Gabriel Benitez yesterday. He’s accused of not reporting the crash in which deputies say his SUV hit bicyclist Carl J. Telford on Illinois 351 Sunday. The crash was hard enough to knock off the vehicle’s passenger side mirror. The 45-year old Telford died at a Rockford hospital Monday. Benitez was jailed last night with bond set at $200,000.