A Round Lake Beach man who died after a crash with a dump truck near Libertyville leaves behind his first child, who had just been born days prior to his death, his family said.
An autopsy performed Monday showed that Dennis Lewis Jr., 35, of Round Lake Beach, died as a result of blunt force injuries to his head and neck as a result of a vehicle crash, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Libertyville Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:35 p.m. Friday to Route 176 and Bradley Road in Green Oaks for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Multiple 911 calls were received reporting a crash involving a semi-truck and a motorcycle, with one caller reporting there was a deceased victim at the scene, according to fire department radio traffic.
Firefighters, paramedics and sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the motorcycle down in the roadway with Lewis ejected, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Lewis was lying in the intersection and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash happened in front of the Lake Shore Harley-Davidson dealership, east of Interstate 94.
The dump truck involved remained at the scene and pulled over on Bradley Road just north of Rockland Road.
A preliminary investigation shows the 2013 Harley-Davidson Motorcycle, driven by Lewis, was traveling westbound on Route 176.
Witnesses told investigators the motorcycle was approaching Bradley Road and in the westbound lanes, which had a green light, Covelli said.
A 2008 Peterbilt semi-truck, carrying a dump trailer and driven by a 50-year-old McHenry man, was traveling eastbound on Route 176.
Covelli said the driver of the Peterbilt began turning left to go northbound on Bradley Road and turned directly in front of the motorcycle, causing the collision.
The driver of the Peterbilt was uninjured and is cooperating with the investigation, Covelli said.
Sheriff’s deputies shut down all westbound lanes of Route 176 at Bradley Road as well as part of eastbound Route 176, resulting in heavy traffic delays, during the crash investigation.
Round Lake Beach resident Brianna Vance said Lewis was a “devoted father, son, brother, partner, uncle and cousin” who “tragically” lost his life in the crash, which he was not at fault for.
Lewis had welcomed his baby daughter into the world on July 15, just three days before the crash. “He never got the chance to hold her in his arms at home,” Vance said, adding that Lewis was taken too soon.
At the time of the crash, Lewis was on his way home to meet up with his child’s mother so the two of them could go together to bring their newborn daughter home from the hospital.
“His sudden passing has left a tremendous hole in our hearts and a heavy burden on the mother of his newborn, who is now navigating the unimaginable: caring for a brand-new baby while grieving the loss of her partner,” Vance said.
A GoFundMe account was created to help raise money for funeral expenses and to pay for living expenses of his newborn. It has raised almost $8,000.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.