A driver was ejected from his truck and killed during a crash that left a FedEx semi-trailer truck engulfed in flames on Interstate 294 in Deerfield Tuesday morning.
The Northbrook Fire Department and Illinois State Police Troop 3 responded around 2:23 a.m. Tuesday to Interstate 294 at mile marker 52.5 in Deerfield for a report of a crash with injuries.
The incident occurred in the northbound lanes on the exit ramp to Lake Cook Road.
An Illinois State Police (ISP) spokesperson said a preliminary investigation showed a single vehicle was involved.
The vehicle, a FedEx truck-tractor double bottom semi-trailer, left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck a guardrail.
A fire started at the front of the vehicle upon impact and quickly engulfed the front of the vehicle.
The driver of the truck was ejected from the vehicle and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital, the state police spokesperson said.
The driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Firefighters worked for hours to fully extinguish the fire, which destroyed the semi-truck and one of the trailers.
State police shut down the northbound ramp on Interstate 294 to Lake Cook Road. The ramp remains closed as of 9:30 a.m.
The male victim’s identity remains withheld pending notification to his family.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police.