A longtime employee of a Mundelein restaurant, who is a former McHenry County resident, died after police say she was hit by a semi-truck on Interstate 90 near Rockford.
The Illinois State Police responded around 11:14 a.m. on September 15 to the area of Interstate 90 near Newburg Road outside of Rockford in Winnebago County for a vehicle crash with injuries.
State police said the incident happened in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 near milepost 17.
Troopers arrived and found a fatal traffic crash involving a pedestrian who was struck by a commercial vehicle in the roadway.
The eastbound lanes of traffic were shut down and later reopened around 2 p.m. that day.
The Winnebago County Coroner’s Office said they were called to the scene to take possession of the victim for an autopsy.
The coroner’s office on Friday identified the victim to Lake and McHenry County Scanner as 32-year-old Sarah Stellato.
Stellato was a current resident of Bartlett and previously lived in McHenry and Algonquin.
Photos from the scene showed Stellato’s white four-door sedan with front-end damage and airbag deployment on the shoulder.
Two semi-tractor-trailer trucks were also pulled over ahead of her sedan.
State police said they did not have information to release on the circumstances of the incident, including whether Stellato was hit in a secondary crash.
Stellato was pronounced dead at the scene, the coroner’s office said, adding that further information was not available for release.
Tina Gs Cafe in Mundelein said that Stellato, who was one of their employees, was “tragically lost.”
Stellato began working for the owners of the restaurant 14 years ago at Philly G’s when she was 18. Stellato continued working for the owners when they opened Tavern on 60 and then Tina Gs.
“To say that Tina and I, along with our staff and regulars who knew her are devastated is an understatement. We will be closed Monday all day for her services,” the business said on social media.
A visitation was held for Stellato on Monday at Salerno’s Rosedale Chapel in Roselle and a funeral mass was held Tuesday at St. Peter Damian Catholic Church in Bartlett.
“Throughout her life, Sarah was a free spirit who enjoyed snowboarding and outdoor adventures. At her core, Sarah was lively, sociable, and a true people person. These qualities served her well during her years working as a bartender. She was a caring and loving daughter to her parents and a selfless sister to Natalie,” her obituary said.
“Those who knew Sarah will remember her smile and the infectious energy she brought wherever she went. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched,” the obituary added.