The coroner has identified a 39-year-old man and father who died after an SUV hit him while he was on a motorcycle that broke down in Waukegan Sunday morning.
An autopsy showed that Deandre Knowles, 39, of Beach Park, died as a result of blunt force injuries from a crash, according to Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton.
The Waukegan Police Department responded around 1:45 a.m. Sunday to the intersection of Green Bay Road and Suddard Street for a vehicle crash.
Officers arrived to find a crash involving a small motorcycle and an SUV, according to Waukegan Deputy Police Chief Joe Florip.
The Waukegan Police Department’s Major Crash Unit was activated and responded.
Investigators believe that a street-legal 2018 Kawasaki Z125 Pro motorcycle, driven by Knowles, was traveling southbound on Green Bay Road.
The Kawasaki experienced a mechanical issue and the motorcycle slowed significantly or came to a stop, Florip said.
A 2021 Chevrolet Trax SUV struck the motorcycle from behind.
Knowles was pronounced dead on the scene.
Investigators believe that scene lighting and the motorcycle’s mechanical failure are the main elements in the crash, Florip said.
Police initially said Knowles was a North Chicago resident; however, the coroner’s office said he was from Beach Park.
Tatiana Trevino, Knowles’ daughter, said she “always needed” her father and still needs him.
“This is emotionally a difficult time for myself as well as everyone else. My heart aches so bad,” Trevino said.
She created a GoFundMe account, which has raised over $1,000 in the past day, to help pay for Knowles’ funeral.
The driver of the SUV, a woman in her 50s from Zion, remained at the scene following the crash.
Florip said the woman is fully cooperating with the investigation.
No citations have been issued and no charges have been filed.
Knowles was not wearing a helmet, Florip said. The SUV driver was wearing her seatbelt.
Police also determined the motorcycle had been reported stolen from Grayslake on July 9.
The crash remains under investigation by the Waukegan Police Department.