A 56-year-old Buffalo Grove man was killed after a pickup truck that fled from police at a high rate of speed crashed into the man’s car on New Year’s Day in Mundelein.
Richard R. Skloot, 56, of Buffalo Grove, died of multiple injuries due to blunt force trauma, according to Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper.
The Mundelein Fire Department and Mundelein Police Department responded around 10:10 a.m. Wednesday to Route 45 north of Route 60 for a two-vehicle crash with injuries.
A northbound Lincoln MXZ sedan was attempting to turn left into the Burger King parking lot when it was t-boned by a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, which was traveling at a high rate of speed and driving recklessly southbound on Route 45, police said.
The pickup truck reportedly fled from police just prior to the crash, a witness and another source told Lake and McHenry County Scanner. Officers were not actively pursuing the vehicle when it crashed.
Skloot, who was the driver of the Lincoln sedan, was heavily trapped in the car and pronounced dead at the scene, Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper said.
The driver of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and charges are pending against him, police said.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) responded to the scene to assist with the crash reconstruction and investigation. Authorities shut down Route 45 in both directions for over five hours.
The crash remains under investigation by the Mundelein Police Department, Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team and Lake County Coroner’s Office.