The coroner has identified a Gurnee man and an Island Lake man who were both killed in wrong-way crash in Wauconda early Thursday morning.
Kyle DeKruif, 25, of Island Lake, and Montana Brown, 24, of Gurnee, both died of blunt force injuries caused by a vehicle crash, Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper said following an autopsy. Toxicology results are pending.
The Wauconda Police Department and Wauconda Fire District responded around 2:16 a.m. Thursday to the northbound lanes of Route 12 near Route 59 for a two-vehicle crash with injuries.
Wauconda Police Department Public Information Officer Heather Cognac said that a Honda Odyssey was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of Route 12 when it collided into a Freightliner delivery truck.
The Honda Odyssey was driven by DeKruif and Brown was a passenger. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, Cognac said.
The 23-year-old man driving the delivery truck was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. He was conscious and breathing following the collision, police said.
Northbound Route 12 was closed from Old Rand Road to Route 176 for over six hours while accident investigators worked at the scene. The road was reopened around 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
“We have been in close contact with both families and our deepest condolences go out to them during this difficult time. This is truly a tragedy,” Cooper said.
The Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT), Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Zurich Police Department and Island Lake Police Department assisted the Wauconda Police Department.
The investigation is ongoing and will be handled by the Wauconda Police Department, Lake County Coroner’s Office and MCAT, Cognac said.