The two people killed and another who was seriously injured following a police chase that ended in a fiery crash near Fox Lake have been identified by police and the coroner.
Theopolis Owens, 28, of Chicago and Kayla Crews, 18, of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, both died of blunt force injuries caused by a vehicle crash, according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper.
The pursuit began in Genoa City, Wisconsin when police spotted a 1994 Toyota Camry, driven by Owens, traveling at a high rate of speed, according to the Fox Lake Police Department. The chase crossed the Illinois state line into Spring Grove.
The Toyota was traveling eastbound on Route 173 west of Converse Road in Fox Lake when it struck a guardrail, went off the roadway and hit several trees on the north side of the road, police said.
The car burst into flames and police officers and a passing motorist attempted to extinguish the fire and remove the occupants from the car.
Owens and Crews, along with a third person, identified as Mya Janczak, 18, of Waukegan, were transported by ambulances to area hospitals, police said.
Owens was pronounced dead at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital and Crews, who was the front seat passenger, was pronounced dead at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Janczak, who was a passenger in the back seat, suffered serious injuries and remains hospitalized.
The Genoa City police chief told the Lake County News-Sun that an internal investigation has been opened regarding the pursuit involving their officers. The Fox Lake Police Department and Major Crash Assistance Team continue to investigate the crash.