The coroner has identified a 29-year-old man who died after his car slammed into two trees at a high rate of speed and split in half in Waukegan Friday morning.
An autopsy performed Monday on Hiezer Castillo, 29, of Zion, showed he died as a result of blunt force injuries, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.
The Waukegan Police Department and Waukegan Fire Department responded around 1:20 a.m. Friday to the area of Sheridan Road and Glen Flora Avenue for a vehicle crash with injuries.
A resident called 911 after the incident occurred in front of his home.
Officers arrived to find a single-vehicle crash with one victim who was critically injured, according to fire department radio dispatch.
Officers also reported the vehicle, which appeared to be a sedan, was torn in half upon impact.
Paramedics arrived and confirmed the driver, later identified as Castillo, was deceased at the scene.
The Waukegan Police Department Major Crash Unit was called to conduct a crash investigation.
Waukegan Sixth Ward Alderman Keith Turner said the vehicle was traveling northbound on Sheridan Road and was driving “fast.”
The car jumped the curb on the east side of the roadway and struck two trees before splitting in half, Turner said.
One of the trees that was struck sustained heavy damage.
The crash occurred in front of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 offices at 1201 North Sheridan Road.
In December 2021, another high-speed driver slammed into the brick wall at the front of the property, leaving the driver severely injured and the car extensively damaged.
The Waukegan Police Department is investigating the cause of the crash and has not released information on it.