Lake County authorities were working Monday to positively identify the three people killed in a fiery weekend auto accident that a Gurnee police officer said was among the worst the department has seen.
The trio were killed early Sunday when the Jeep in which they were traveling struck some trees along Grand Avenue and caught on fire. Police noticed the flames around 2 a.m. in the tree line near the Grand Avenue intersection with North Greenleaf Street, and found that the Jeep SUV was on fire.
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Gurnee fire department personnel responded and extinguished the blaze.
Gurnee police said it may be several days before police and the coroner’s office are able to confirm the identities of the victims.
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“This was one of the worst crashes we have experienced,” Gurnee police public information officer Shawn Gaylor said in a Monday email. “Due to the amount of damage at the crash scene, it will require significant follow up and investigation to confirm any information.”
The Lake County coroner’s office said Monday that autopsies were performed, and that the three victims died from blunt force trauma. The coroner’s office is working with families of the deceased to make positive identifications, Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said Monday.
Gurnee police reached out to the county Major Crash Assistance Team for investigative support.
The area where the crash happened is primarily residential, and is several blocks west of the Grand Avenue intersection with U.S. Route 41.
