A Wisconsin man has been identified after he was killed in a crash involving his motorcycle and a semi-truck last week on Interstate 94 near Deerfield.
The Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District and Illinois State Police responded around 1:46 p.m. Thursday to Interstate 94 near Deerfield Road in Deerfield.
An Illinois State Police spokesperson said District 15 troopers responded to a call of a two-vehicle crash with injuries.
The crash involved a motorcycle and truck tractor semi-trailer in the westbound lanes of traffic.
The driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead following the collision, the spokesperson said.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said the victim was identified as William L. Graves, 59, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The driver of the semi-truck did not report any injuries.
All westbound lanes were shut down for several hours for a crash investigation.
The interstate was reopened around 4:25 p.m. Thursday.
According to his obituary, Graves leaves behind his wife and four children. He was also a grandfather of three.
One of his children created a GoFundMe to raise money for Graves’ wife.
“My dad was living on disability checks and my mom is a manager of a gas station. And now with my dad having passed, my mom won’t get those disability checks anymore to help with expenses,” Sarah Graves said.
“This was an absolute shock to our family. My dad has been out riding thousands of times and has always come back home… but this time he didn’t. This event has truly shattered our hearts,” she said.
Almost $2,000 has been raised with a goal of $5,000.