Wilmette police officer gets Northbrook’s thanks

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Officer Steven Leigh

Updated: March 3, 2012 8:05AM

A Wilmette police officer who helped Northbrook colleagues close a traffic fatality investigation last summer received their official thanks Tuesday.

Officer Steven Leigh’s patience and compassion, as well as his translation abilities and cultural awareness, proved invaluable to Northbrook police following an Aug. 25 two-car crash that took the life of one woman, Northbrook Police Sgt. Dan Strickland told Wilmette village trustees.

Without Leigh’s dedication and professionalism, “I don’t think we would have had the same result, bringing closure to our victim’s family,” he said before presenting Leigh with a plaque.

Leigh was called to the Northbrook accident scene originally as a member of the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force’s major crash assistance team, helping to reconstruct what happened when a car driven by Buffalo Grove resident Jiho Lee collided with Mount Prospect resident Zofia Strzalkowska’s vehicle at Sanders Road and Commercial Avenue.

The collision killed Strzalkowska, 58, and sent one of Lee’s passengers to the hospital.

Lee was subsequently charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol with great bodily harm, one count of aggravated driving under the influence causing a fatality, and traffic charges of speeding and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

After being asked to translate statements from Lee and his passengers, “it became obvious that those abilities were not the only thing we came to rely on,” Strickland said Tuesday. His demeanor convinced unwilling witnesses to talk and eventually resulted in an alleged confession from Lee.

“As unpleasant as these incidents are … sometimes the only comfort for a victim’s family is when we can do our job professionally and bring the offender into court with a completed investigation,” Strickland said.

“You have our respect,” he told Officer Leigh.

Wilmette Village President Chris Canning noted that while Wilmette often has received written thanks for police help to other communities, Tuesday’s presentation marked the first time police officers from another jurisdiction “have come to visit us” for that reason.

Leigh, whom Canning praised as an exemplary officer, said he is glad to have been able to help the Northbrook force.

“The mission we have is universal,” Leigh said, “and knows no jurisdiction or boundaries.”