A father of three children and founder of an insurance firm has been identified as the man who died after he crashed his moped on Deerfield Road in Highland Park.
The Highland Park Police Department and Highland Park Fire Department responded around 3:15 p.m. Thursday to Deerfield Road and Route 41 for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Officers arrived and found a single vehicle, a moped, involved in the crash, according to Highland Park Communications Manager Amanda Bennett.
An investigation showed the driver lost control of the moped and drove off the roadway, Bennett said.
The crash occurred on Deerfield Road west of Route 41 before Richfield Avenue.
Paramedics transported the driver of the moped to Evanston Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Daniel Gordon, 50, of Highland Park.
An autopsy confirmed Gordon died from multiple injuries in the crash. The manner of death was ruled an accident.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) was called to the scene Thursday to investigate the incident.
Route 41 was shut down for several hours into late Thursday evening while crash investigators worked at the scene.
An obituary for Gordon said he leaves behind a partner, two siblings and three children.
“We all love Dan so very much and we will hold him in our hearts forever. He was full of life and cherished every experience. The small stuff. The big holidays and celebrations. He loved it all and made the best of every moment,” the obituary said.
“Dan loved sharing great meals with family and friends, and he built a career in foodservice to bring this joy to others. More recently, he stepped out on his own to start a new business, primarily to be available on weekends and support big plans for the future,” the obituary added.
The family said in Gordon’s obituary that his “dreams were cut short” when he died.
A funeral service for Gordon, who was the founder and agent of an insurance firm, was held Tuesday.
The crash remains under investigation by the Highland Park Police Department and MCAT.