Authorities say an 83-year-old man from Johnsburg has died after a three-vehicle crash that resulted in heavy damage and shut down part of Route 12 in Fox Lake.
The Fox Lake Fire Protection District and Fox Lake Police Department responded around 11:28 a.m. Wednesday to the area of Route 12 and Oak Street for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Fox Lake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Larry VanHoorelbeke said crews arrived to find three vehicles involved.
Two of the cars sustained heavy damage and the third sustained moderate damage to its front end.
An elderly man was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
He was the driver of the silver sedan and was confused as to what had happened, VanHoorelbeke said. He was also complaining of chest pain.
The driver of the dark-colored GMC SUV was transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry.
VanHoorelbeke initially said both drivers transported to the hospital were believed to have suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office said Friday that the male victim from the silver sedan died in the intensive care unit at the hospital late in the day on Wednesday.
He was identified as Robert Geist, 83, of Johnsburg. A preliminary coroner’s investigation showed he died as a result of blunt force injuries from the crash.
The driver of the yellow Ford pickup truck was evaluated at the scene and declined transport to the hospital. All drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles.
The Lake Villa Fire Protection District assisted at the scene and the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District covered one of Fox Lake’s fire stations during the incident.
The crash occurred in the southbound lanes and left the southbound lanes shut down, VanHoorelbeke said.
While fire officials said the crash was a T-bone-style collision, the two other drivers involved said it was not. One driver said the silver sedan was driving the wrong way.
Traffic was briefly rerouted to Oak Street to Nippersink Boulevard to Grand Avenue to Route 12 during the crash cleanup.
A woman who was involved in the crash said an older man in the silver sedan caused the crash and his vehicle first struck the dark-colored GMC SUV before her yellow pickup truck became involved.
“Right around the blind curve with very little time to react,” she said.
The Fox Lake Police Department is investigating the cause of the crash.