The coroner has released the identity of a five-year-old child who was killed in a head-on crash that also left a two-year-old child critically injured in Beach Park.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5 p.m. Tuesday to Green Bay Road just north of Hart Street in Beach Park for a report of a serious crash.
Deputies arrived and found a Chevrolet Malibu and a GMC Sierra involved in a head-on collision.
A preliminary investigation showed that the Chevrolet Malibu, driven by a 24-year-old Waukegan man, was traveling southbound on Green Bay Road, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Witness statements indicated the Chevrolet driver was illegally passing other southbound vehicles by driving in the northbound lanes, Covelli said.
While traveling in the wrong lane, the Chevrolet collided head-on with the northbound GMC Sierra, driven by a 57-year-old man of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
The driver of the GMC suffered serious injuries and was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The driver of the Chevrolet also suffered serious injuries and required extrication from his vehicle by the fire department, Covelli said.
A two-year-old boy, who was seated on the driver’s lap, suffered critical injuries and was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago for treatment.
Before being transported to a hospital, the Chevrolet’s driver told deputies that no one else was in the vehicle, Covelli said.
Deputies later discovered a critically injured five-year-old boy beneath debris behind the driver’s seat.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the child as Sy’mere McKnight, 5, of Zion.
McKnight was rushed to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room.
An autopsy was performed Wednesday and the results indicate that McKnight died from blunt force injuries as a result of the crash, Banek said.
Covelli said preliminary findings suggest McKnight and the other child were not properly secured in a child safety seat at the time of the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing and criminal charges will be pursued.