The family of a Park City man, who was a father of three, is raising money to help pay for his funeral after he was fatally struck by a vehicle while walking near Libertyville.
An autopsy performed Thursday on Jose Guzman, 51, of Park City, showed he died as a result of blunt force injuries from a vehicle crash, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Libertyville Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:20 a.m. Thursday to the area of Route 137 and Clover Drive in unincorporated Libertyville.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the call was dispatched as a car versus pedestrian crash.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the pedestrian, identified as Guzman, critically injured.
Covelli said a preliminary investigation shows a 2016 Kia Rio was traveling westbound on Route 137 in the outside lane of traffic.
The Kia, driven by a 54-year-old Woodstock man, struck Guzman.
The driver of the Kia reported that he did not see the pedestrian, who was walking in the lane of traffic, Covelli said.
Guzman was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the Kia was uninjured and is cooperating with the investigation, Covelli said.
Route 137 was shut down in both directions from River Road to St. Mary’s Road during the crash investigation.
One of Guzman’s children, Briana Guzman, said her father was “tragically taken from us.” He leaves behind three children and his wife.
“Before his passing, our father was deeply loved by many. The outpouring of support, memories, and condolences from friends, family, and acquaintances has been a testament to the impact he had on others’ lives,” she said.
“The warmth and shared stories reflect the profound love and connections he built,” she added.
The family created a GoFundMe account to help raise money for Guzman’s funeral expenses and their day-to-day expenses.
Over $3,000 has been raised as of Tuesday morning.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.