
A 70-year-old woman fleeing the scene of a crash died after striking a semi-truck on Route 41 Monday evening in Gurnee, police said.
The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 7:20 p.m. Monday to Route 41 and Route 21 for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Police officers found two vehicles involved, a 2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor with extensive damage, and a semi-truck, according to Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor.
An initial investigation shows the driver of the Mitsubishi, a 70-year-old Wadsworth woman, was involved in a hit-and-run crash near Fuller Road and Stearns School Road, which is approximately a half-mile northwest of Route 41 and Route 21, Gaylor said.
The Mitsubishi rear-ended a 2008 Nissan carryall before driving away from the scene. The driver of the Nissan sustained minor injuries and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.
After the Mitsubishi fled the scene, the woman continued driving southbound on Route 41 toward Route 21. For an unknown reason, the driver of the Mitsubishi entered the intersection and collided with a semi-truck attempting to turn left from northbound Route 21 onto Route 41, Gaylor said.
The driver of the Mitsubishi was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead later that evening. The semi-truck driver, a 49-year-old Milwaukee, Wisconsin man, was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators with the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) responded to the scene to assist with the crash investigation. The Lake County Coroner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy on the woman for Tuesday.
The crash remains under investigation by the Gurnee Police Department and MCAT.