Officials have released the names of two women killed Saturday evening in a head-on crash in unincorporated Grayslake, as police work to determine what caused the deadly crash.
Barbara Gaulke, 56, of Ingleside, and Sandra Forscht, 64, of Round Lake, were identified as the two women killed in the crash, Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper said Tuesday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded at 9:05 p.m. Saturday to a three-vehicle head-on crash with injuries on Fairfield Road north of Route 60 in Fremont Township.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that a Ford E-350 van, driven by a 51-year-old Round Lake Beach man, was traveling southbound on Fairfield Road north of Route 60.
The driver of the Ford crossed the double yellow line and went into the northbound lanes. The Ford struck the driver’s side of a northbound Honda Odyssey, driven by a 42-year-old Hainesville man.
The Ford also struck a northbound Kia Forte, driven by Gaulke, head-on, Covelli said.
Gaulke sustained major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Forscht, who was in the front passenger seat of the Kia, also sustained major injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the Ford and driver of the Honda were transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with non-life-threatening injuries. The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and conducted autopsies on the two women on Monday.
Cooper confirmed both Gaulke and Forscht died of injuries received from blunt force trauma during the crash. Investigators are working to reconstruct the crash and determine estimated speeds of the vehicles.
Covelli said investigators are also waiting for the results of blood and urine tests of the drivers, along with hospital records to determine if a medical event contributed to the crash.
Investigators may subpoena cell phone records to determine if a driver was texting or using their phone during the crash, Covelli said.
“It could be several weeks before it’s determined if charges are warranted,” Covelli said, adding that investigators will also interview the surviving drivers.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.