Two people were killed after a speeding vehicle drove off an embankment and went airborne for approximately 200 feet near unincorporated Zion Sunday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 6:45 a.m. Sunday to West Russell Road and Delany Road in Newport Township for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located a 2006 Infiniti sedan with major damage, according to Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli.
A preliminary investigation shows the Infiniti, driven by an adult male, was traveling northbound on Delany Road. As the vehicle approached Russell Road, the driver failed to reduce speed and drove the vehicle off the east side of the roadway into an embankment, Covelli said.
This caused the Infiniti to go airborne for approximately 200 feet. The vehicle was airborne as it crossed Russell Road before crashing to the ground.
“Northbound Delany Road reaches a dead-end at Russell Road, and drivers must turn left or right onto Russell Road,” Covelli said, adding that excessive speed appears to be a factor in the crash.
The vehicle was occupied by the driver and an adult male front seat passenger. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that they are in the process of identifying both victims and notifying their families. Autopsies are scheduled for Monday morning.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.