The sheriff’s office says good Samaritans rescued an unconscious driver from his burning vehicle after the car drove off the road and crashed into trees near Deerfield.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District responded around 2:50 p.m. Sunday to the area of Speedway, 20744 Milwaukee Avenue in unincorporated Deerfield, for a report of a vehicle crash.
A 911 caller reported a victim was trapped in the car, which was on fire, on Milwaukee Avenue south of Deerfield Road.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said deputies found a 2018 Lexus sedan that drove off of the roadway into the woods.
The driver was unconscious and his foot remained on the accelerator.
The Lexus was pinned against a tree following the crash, Covelli said.
A small fire started in the engine compartment of the Lexus but bystanders were able to extinguish it with a fire extinguisher.
Covelli said Good Samaritans rescued the driver, a 77-year-old Buffalo Grove man, from the vehicle prior to the sheriff and fire departments arriving.
It is believed the man suffered a medical episode that caused him to crash the Lexus, Covelli said. He is expected to fully recover.