Authorities have released the identity of a Kenosha woman who died Wednesday after she drove into oncoming traffic and hit a semi-truck head-on near Antioch.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Antioch Fire Department responded around 10:45 a.m. Wednesday to Route 173 west of Pedersen Lane in unincorporated Antioch for a report of a crash.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located three vehicles involved, one being a semi-truck, with major damage, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
A preliminary investigation shows a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by a woman, was traveling westbound on Route 173.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said on Thursday that the woman was identified as Ann Kennedy, 82, of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
For unknown reasons, Kennedy’s Chevrolet drifted into the eastbound lanes of traffic and was struck head-on by an eastbound 2007 Volvo semi-truck, Covelli said.
The semi-truck was pulling a 53-foot trailer and was driven by a 50-year-old man who resides in Ontario, Canada.
The driver of the Volvo swerved prior to impact in an attempt to avoid the collision but the vehicles still collided, Covelli said.
A 2002 Toyota Celica, driven by a 20-year-old Antioch man, struck the Chevrolet immediately following the impact.
The driver of the Toyota was traveling westbound directly behind the Chevrolet.
Kennedy was pronounced dead at the scene, Covelli said. The drivers of the Volvo and Toyota were uninjured.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy on Kennedy will take place on Friday.
The Illinois State Police also responded to the scene to inspect the condition of the semi-truck, Covelli said.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit and Lake County Coroner’s Office.