A Park City man and father has died after being critically injured in a freak accident where a wheel detached from a trailer and struck him as he rode an electric scooter on Route 41 in Gurnee.
The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 5:25 p.m. on July 27 to northbound Route 41 near the Grand Avenue exit in Gurnee for a report of a vehicle crash.
Gurnee Battalion Fire Chief Nick Perry said he was returning to Gurnee Fire Station #1 after an unrelated call when several people flagged him down for the crash.
The crash involved a Ford F-450 and an electric scooter, which was operated by Domingo Ocampo, 60, of Park City, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
An ambulance responded and firefighter/paramedics rushed Ocampo to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical injuries.
A preliminary investigation shows Ocampo was riding his e-scooter northbound along the shoulder of Route 41, Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said.
At the same time, the Ford, driven by a 45-year-old Waukegan man, was traveling northbound on Route 41.
The Ford was pulling a trailer with a front-loader, Gaylor said.
“During the incident, two wheels became detached from the trailer. One of the wheels struck the scooter rider, causing life-threatening injuries,” Gaylor said.
The man was listed in critical condition but died two weeks later in the intensive care unit at Advocate Condell Medical Center on Saturday, Banek said Monday.
The man driving the Ford was not injured, Gaylor said. He remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.
A preliminary coroner’s investigation shows that Ocampo died from complications of blunt force head injuries as a result of the incident, Banek said.
Due to the severity of the crash, the Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) of Lake County was requested to help investigate the crash.
The northbound lanes of Route 41 were shut down at Washington Street for several hours while investigators worked the scene.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Deputy Unit assisted with road closures.
Ernie’s Wrecker Service and Lin-Mar Towing & Recovery responded to remove both the F-450 and the trailer with the front-loader.
The northbound lanes were reopened at around 10 p.m.
Authorities have asked that anyone with footage of the crash contact the Gurnee Police Department.
“Anyone who may have captured the incident on a vehicle dash camera is asked to contact the Gurnee Police Department,” Gaylor said.
“Investigators are particularly interested in footage recorded near U.S. Route 41 and Grand Avenue around 5:25 p.m. on July 27,” Gaylor added.
A GoFundMe account created by Ocampo’s family, while he was hospitalized, said he was a father facing a long and difficult road ahead but was a “fighter.” His family called it a “horrible accident” that has caused an “extremely difficult time” for them.
The crash remains under investigation by the Gurnee Police Department and MCAT.