A 68-year-old man has been charged after he intentionally drove into a tree in what police say was a possible murder-suicide attempt in Beach Park Wednesday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Beach Park Fire Department responded around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday to 29th Street and Lone Oak Road in Beach Park for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located a Nissan Murano that struck a tree, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
There was significant damage to the Nissan and two occupants were still in the car.
The driver of the Nissan and a passenger were trapped inside the car and firefighters had to extricate them.
The male driver and female passenger were transported to area hospitals with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver, a 68-year-old Gurnee man, and the victim, a 38-year-old Zion woman, are in a relationship.
The two were arguing with each other and the 68-year-old indicated he was going to end their lives, Covelli said.
The driver of the Nissan accelerated as he was driving eastbound on 29th Street, veered off the roadway and drove directly into a tree.
Both the driver and the passenger remain hospitalized with serious injuries, Covelli said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and reckless conduct, a Class 4 felony.
Additional charges are possible, Covelli said, adding that the driver’s name is being withheld pending his discharge from the hospital.
He will be placed into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail once released.