The coroner has released the identity of a 27-year-old man who died after he crashed a stolen car head-on into a work truck on Route 134 in Ingleside Wednesday morning.
An autopsy performed on Wednesday showed Joshua Rosendahl, 27, of Ingleside, died as a result of blunt force injuries to the head, neck and chest, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
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.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said sheriff’s deputies arrived and located two vehicles with heavy damage.
A preliminary investigation shows a Honda sedan, driven by Rosendahl, was traveling westbound on Route 134.
Rosendahl 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 Rosendahl 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 Rosendahl 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.
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.
Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) records show Rosendahl had just been released on parole from prison in June after serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for possession of a stolen vehicle in McHenry County and 18 months for retail theft in Lake County, both felonies.
The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.