Roderick Richardson, 47, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was killed after his car slammed into the rear of a semi tractor-trailer truck in Wadsworth Sunday evening, the coroner said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Newport Fire Protection District responded at 10:15 p.m. Sunday to Route 41 and Wadsworth Road in Wadsworth.
Emergency crews found a 2005 Chrysler 300 sedan that rear-ended a 2012 Freightliner tractor-trailer in the northbound lanes of Route 41 at Wadsworth Road. Richardson was heavily trapped in the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Lake County Sheriff Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that the semi-truck was stopped at the red light and began to accelerate when the light turned green when it was rear-ended by the Chrysler. A witness said that the Chrysler was driving at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash, Covelli added.
An autopsy on Richardson showed he died from injuries caused by blunt force trauma. Toxicology testing is pending.
Heavy duty tow trucks were called to the scene to remove the car from underneath the trailer. The driver of the semi-truck was transported to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries and released.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.