The brother of an 18-year-old man killed in a crash in Zion that left several others injured Monday identified his brother, saying “he was my best friend.”
The Zion Fire and Rescue Department and Zion Police Department responded around 3:49 a.m. Monday to the area of 9th Street and Lorelei Drive in Zion for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Officers discovered a single-vehicle crash with multiple injuries on 9th Street near the intersection, according to Zion Police Department Lt. Christopher Sweeting.
Sweeting said the vehicle appeared to have left the roadway, gone into a ditch and struck a utility pole.
One of the passengers, an 18-year-old man from Zion, was later pronounced dead at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
The victim was later identified by the Lake County Coroner’s Office as Jadyn R. Pagan. He died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy confirmed.
The driver, along with the other passengers, was evaluated by paramedics and some were transported to the hospital, Sweeting said.
Their injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time and remains under investigation, Sweeting said.
Tyler Pagan, Jadyn Pagan’s older brother, created a GoFundMe account Monday to help raise money for his funeral service.
“He was my only brother and I loved him to death. He was my best friend. If I could take his place I would, but I can’t,” Tyler Pagan said.
The GoFundMe account has raised nearly $1,000 with a goal of $25,000.
Anyone with information on the crash is encouraged to call the Zion Police Department at 847-872-8000.