The coroner has identified a Zion mother of five, who was also a grandmother, that was killed on Thanksgiving Day after the car she was in crashed into a light pole and tree in Zion.
An autopsy showed that Nohemi Carrillo, 40, of Zion, died as a result of blunt force injuries as a result of a vehicle crash, according to Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton.
The Zion Police Department and Zion Fire and Rescue Department responded at 9:32 p.m. Thursday to the area of Ace Hardware, 2660 Sheridan Road, for a single-vehicle crash.
Emergency crews arrived and found a vehicle with heavy damage, according to fire radio traffic.
According to witnesses, an Infiniti EX35 left the roadway and hit several trees and a light pole before coming to a rest, Zion Police Lieutenant Derek Zaloudek said.
The driver was a 38-year-old Waukegan man and Carrillo was the sole passenger.
Both were trapped in the Infiniti with significant injuries, Zaloudek said.
Numerous fire departments responded to the scene to assist with extricating the two victims.
Firefighters successfully extricated both occupants at around 10:15 p.m., according to fire department radio traffic.
ComEd and Hometown Electric addressed property damage within their purview, Zaloudek said.
Paramedics transported Carrillo and the driver to area hospitals.
The woman succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead, Newton said.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was requested to investigate the crash.
Speed and intoxication are primary contributing factors in the crash, Zaloudek said.
Winthrop Harbor resident Consuelo Reyes said her family suffered “an unexpected loss” after her sister was killed in the crash.
“As you can see this wasn’t in our plans. God is the only one who knew and so he called for her,” Reyes said.
Carrillo was a mother of five children and a grandmother to two children.
A GoFundMe account created to help the family pay for the funeral has collected over $3,000.
The incident remains under investigation by MCAT and the Zion Police Department.