The coroner has identified a 59-year-old man who died Saturday morning after being struck by an SUV on Route 12 in Lake Zurich as the vice president of a transportation company.
An autopsy performed on Monday showed that Casimir Ries, 59, of Lake Zurich, died as a result of blunt force injuries as a result of a crash, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
The Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department and Lake Zurich Police Department responded around 12:40 a.m. Saturday to the intersection of Route 12 and Deerpath Road in Lake Zurich for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
Lake Zurich Deputy Police Chief Colin Gaffney said officers arrived and found an unresponsive victim, later identified as Ries, who had been struck by a vehicle.
Officers began performing lifesaving measures on Ries.
Paramedics arrived and Ries was pronounced dead at the scene.
Gaffney said a 2018 Lexus SUV, driven by a 49-year-old Palatine resident, was traveling eastbound on Route 12.
Ries was walking northbound through the intersection.
Investigators believe he was walking “in or near” the crosswalk when the Lexus struck him, Gaffney said.
The driver of the Lexus remained at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.
Investigators are working to determine whether Ries or the vehicle had the right of way, Gaffney said. The crash was witnessed by others.
The driver underwent field sobriety testing and had their blood and urine collected for lab analysis.
No charges have been filed and no citations have been issued yet and Gaffney said it is still early in the investigation.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) responded to conduct a crash investigation and reconstruction.
Eastbound Route 12 was shut down at June Terrace and one lane of westbound Route 12 was closed. All lanes were reopened by around 4:50 a.m. Saturday.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and took possession of Ries.
Ries was the Vice President of Falcon America, an Arlington Heights-based transportation and logistics company.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by MCAT and the Lake Zurich Police Department.