An intoxicated Highland Park man was arrested after a high-speed crash into a tree that left his passenger dead on the Fourth of July in Waukegan, police said.
The Waukegan Police Department received a call around 10:45 p.m. Thursday for a serious single-vehicle crash near Bonnie Brook Lane and Lewis Avenue.
Waukegan Police Commander Joe Florip said that a 2008 Black Ford Fusion was traveling eastbound on Bonnie Brook Lane at a high rate of speed when the vehicle lost control and struck a tree.
The front seat passenger, a North Chicago man in his 20s, was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver, a Highland Park man in his 20s, was transported to an area hospital where he was treated and released.
The driver was released into police custody after being treated for ‘moderate injuries’, Florip said.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper will release the passenger’s name once his family has been notified.
Investigators believe that both speed and alcohol are the main contributors to the crash, Florip said. Both occupants were wearing seatbelts.
The case is being reviewed by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and the driver’s name will be released once charges are made.
The crash remains under investigation by the Waukegan Police Department’s Traffic Division and the Lake County Coroner’s Office.