Authorities say a man was killed after being trapped in a fiery crash that left a second man ejected and critically injured and two others seriously injured near Mundelein Saturday.
The Wauconda Fire District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 4:45 p.m. Saturday to the 29000 block of North Gilmer Road in unincorporated Mundelein for a vehicle crash with injuries and fire.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said sheriff’s deputies arrived and located a 2019 Ford Expedition with major damage that was fully engulfed in flames.
A preliminary investigation shows the Ford, driven by a 66-year-old Mundelein man, was traveling southbound on Gilmer Road from Erhart Road.
The driver swerved to the right and then swerved to the left for an unknown reason, Covelli said.
The Ford left the roadway and struck a tree and a fire erupted.
A backseat passenger, a 36-year-old Grayslake man, was ejected from the Ford, Covelli said.
Fire officials said bystanders stopped at the scene and were able to rescue some of the occupants trapped in the engulfed vehicle.
The bystanders were unable to rescue the driver, who suffered major injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Covelli said the ejected passenger suffered major injuries, including burns to his body.
He was initially transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
A medical helicopter flew the man to the burn unit at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood where he remains in critical condition.
Two other passengers, a 37-year-old Chicago man and a 36-year-old Chicago man suffered serious injuries after escaping from the car and were transported to local hospitals, Covelli said.
Gilmer Road was shut down in both directions at the scene for several hours during the crash investigation.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office is scheduling an autopsy on the male driver, whose identity is being withheld pending notification to his family.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Crash Investigations Team.