A 55-year-old father of two who was a medical device salesman and coached youth soccer has died after being critically injured when his car was struck by a freight train in Lake Forest.
Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said Tuesday that Sany Nassar, 55, of Lake Forest, died in the hospital on September 18.
Nassar was involved in a crash involving a train and his car around 11:35 a.m. on August 21 in the area of Old Mill Road and Waukegan Road in Lake Forest.
Lake Forest Deputy Police Chief Kevin Zelk said emergency personnel arrived and found that a white Audi sedan had been struck by a southbound train.
The driver, later identified as Nassar, was transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in serious condition, Zelk said.
The Metra Police Department said that Nassar was in critical but stable condition.
He was reported to be unconscious and barely breathing at the scene. No one else was injured.
Banek said Nassar died at the hospital earlier this month despite treatment and that the coroner’s office is reviewing “voluminous” medical records and investigative reports as part of the investigation.
An initial report from a 911 caller indicated the car was split in half; however, it remained intact but was heavily damaged.
The collision involved a Kansas City Southern freight train, which was traveling from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Bensenville, Illinois.
The railroad also shares service with the Metra Milwaukee District North and the Amtrak Hiawatha Lines.
Nassar was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and fled to Greece during the Lebanese Civil War, according to his obituary.
“There he befriended a boy from London who taught him English, a story he told with great fondness throughout his life,” his obituary said.
His family later settled in Northbrook where he attended Wood Oaks Junior High School and Glenbrook North High School.
The friends he made there became “like brothers to him” for the rest of his life and several of them traveled to be by his side in his final weeks, his family said in his obituary.
Nassar earned a Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
He built his career in sales, starting with automobiles and copiers before moving into pharmaceuticals and then medical devices.
“Wherever he went, he was the number one representative or Rookie of the Year,” his obituary said.
He became well known throughout the Chicagoland area for his business success and wide circle of relationships and many of his customers became some of his closest friends, his family said in his obituary.
Nassar met his wife at work in his early 20s and they married soon after.
He coached his sons’ American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) teams and was part of the fathers’ coaching group for St. Mary’s football, his obituary said.
His obituary said he “loved openly and without reservation, ending every conversation with his family by saying, ‘I love you.'”
“If someone needed advice, an introduction, or help solving a problem, Sany proudly had ‘a guy’ for just about everything,” his obituary said.
Train traffic was temporarily stopped to ensure the scene was safe for responders.
Roads in the vicinity of the crash were shut down for the scene investigation and due to the stopped freight train, which caused other crossings in the area to be blocked.
A front-end loader picked up the damaged vehicle, which was located south of Old Mill Road on the west side of the edge of the train tracks, and brought it to a tow truck after the investigation was complete.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City is leading the investigation into the incident, with the Metra Police Department and the Lake Forest Police Department assisting.
The incident appears to have been an intentional act based on a preliminary investigation, Zelk said last month.
“If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available,” Lake Forest Police Chief John Burke said.
“The Lake Forest Police Department’s Social Worker can help connect individuals with mental health resources and community services,” Burke said.
Residents can also contact the Lake County Crisis Care Program at 847-377-8088, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The program can provide crisis counseling and connect individuals with the county’s Mobile Response Team.
People can also call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for immediate emotional support. 911 should be contacted if someone is in immediate danger or requires emergency assistance.
“Sany brought light, laughter, and energy into every room he entered, and that will never be forgotten,” his obituary said.
“The loss of our beloved ‘Sanman’ leaves a void that words cannot adequately express,” his family said in the obituary.
“His legacy lives on in his sons, of whom he was immeasurably proud, and in the lesson he demonstrated every day: live fully, love openly, and leave nothing unsaid,” his obituary added.
Nassar is survived by his wife of 30 years, two sons, his parents and a sister.
A funeral mass will be held on October 3 at the Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest followed by burial at Lake Forest Cemetery.
A celebration of life will be held at The Lake Forest Club.