Lake County Gazette

Lake County Sheriff's Traffic Crash Investigators are examining a head-on collision on Green Bay Road that critically injured a two-year-old boy and resulted in the death of a five-year-old boy. The incident occurred on November 26.

According to a Lake County Sheriff's Office news release, deputies responded to reports of a serious traffic crash on Green Bay Road, just north of Hart Street in Beach Park, at approximately 5 p.m. Upon arrival, they discovered a Chevrolet Malibu and a GMC Sierra involved in the collision.

The release states that the driver of the Malibu, a 24-year-old man from Waukegan, sustained serious injuries and required extrication by fire department personnel. A two-year-old boy seated on the driver's lap suffered critical injuries and was transported to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago for treatment. The driver claimed no one else was in the vehicle; however, deputies later found a critically injured five-year-old boy beneath debris behind the driver's seat. The child was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Preliminary investigations suggest neither child was secured in a child safety seat during the crash.

The news release further mentions that the driver of the Sierra also sustained serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.

The investigation revealed that the Malibu was traveling southbound on Green Bay Road. Witness statements indicate that the driver was passing other southbound vehicles by driving illegally in the northbound lanes. While in this lane, it collided head-on with the northbound Sierra, driven by a 57-year-old man from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.

According to the news release, the investigation is ongoing and appropriate criminal charges will be pursued.