A man was rushed to the hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries after he was struck by an SUV, which fled the scene, and then by a pickup truck while crossing Grand Avenue in Gurnee Saturday evening.
The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 7:45 p.m. Saturday to Grand Avenue just east of Dilleys Road in Gurnee for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.
Police officers and firefighter/paramedics arrived to find a 54-year-old Gurnee man who was hit by two vehicles in front of Speedway, 5499 Grand Avenue.
Gurnee Battalion Fire Chief Jim Gramer said rescue crews quickly loaded the man into an ambulance and continued medical care while en route to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
The man was transported in critical condition and sustained life-threatening injuries.
A preliminary investigation shows the man was crossing Grand Avenue outside of a designated crosswalk, Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said.
While crossing, he was hit by a Honda CR-V SUV that was driven by an 81-year-old Beach Park woman.
“Following the initial impact, the Honda left the scene and was later located at the driver’s residence,” Gaylor said.
After the initial crash, the man remained in the roadway and was then hit a second time by a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck that was driven by a 26-year-old Great Lakes woman.
The Chevrolet remained at the scene but was then hit by a Kia sedan driven by a 35-year-old North Chicago woman.
“The drivers of the Chevrolet and Kia remained at the scene and are cooperating with the investigation,” Gaylor said.
The 81-year-old woman driving the Honda was not injured and is also cooperating with investigators.
Gaylor said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was “instrumental” in helping locate the 81-year-old woman.
“We are grateful for the partnership we have with them to help us in these circumstances,” Gaylor said.
The Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) of Lake County was requested to assist with the crash investigation.
The eastbound lanes of Grand Avenue at Dilleys Road were shut down for several hours while investigators worked the scene.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Deputy Unit later arrived to assist with traffic control at the busy intersection.
The lanes were reopened at around 11 p.m.
Gaylor said MCAT investigators are working to obtain data from the vehicles, and any charges will be determined after the investigation concludes, which could take months.
The crash remains under investigation by the Gurnee Police Department and MCAT.