A male driver died and a second driver was injured after a stolen car crashed head-on into a work truck on Route 134 in Ingleside Wednesday morning, the sheriff said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Fox Lake Fire Protection District responded around 5 a.m. Wednesday to Route 134 east of North Catherine Street in Ingleside for a report of a head-on vehicle crash.
The 911 caller was involved in the crash and said he needed an ambulance. There was also a report of a person trapped in the wreckage.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located two vehicles with heavy damage, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
A preliminary investigation shows a Honda sedan, driven by a male whose identity has not been confirmed yet, was traveling westbound on Route 134.
The driver of the Honda veered into the eastbound lanes of traffic for an unknown reason, Covelli said.
The Honda struck an eastbound GMC work truck, driven by a 44-year-old Johnsburg man, head-on.
Covelli said the driver of the Honda suffered critical injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Honda was reported stolen on Tuesday from a gym in Fox Lake.
Covelli said it appeared the driver of the Honda had an open bottle of whiskey in his lap.
The driver of the GMC was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is cooperating with the investigation.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and an autopsy on the driver of the Honda is being scheduled.
Route 134 between Wilson Road and Fairfield Road was shut down for several hours on Wednesday morning for the investigation.
Gavin School District 37 said the major car crash blocked the entrances to South Middle School, causing the school to issue a three-hour delay.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.