Two people were killed after a head-on crash between a semi-truck and a passenger car that has shut down Route 173 near Zion Thursday morning, the sheriff said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Newport Fire Protection District responded around 7:50 a.m. Thursday to the 15000 block of Route 173 in unincorporated Zion for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
A 911 caller reported two people were possibly trapped in the wreckage and deceased at the scene.
Fire crews arrived and confirmed a three-vehicle crash with heavy damage on Route 173 west of Kilbourne Road.
A passenger car appeared to have collided head-on with the semi-tractor-trailer truck.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said two people were pronounced dead at the scene.
They were in the passenger car that collided with the semi-truck, Covelli said. A minivan was also involved in the crash.
It is unclear if any other occupants in the three vehicles involved were injured.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigation Team is on the scene conducting a reconstruction and investigation.
The sheriff’s office has completely shut down Route 173 from Route 41 to Kilbourne Road. It is unclear when the roadway will reopen.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office was notified and is responding to the scene.
The cause of the crash has not been released and remains under active investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.