BEACH PARK — Lake County Sheriff's Deputies say one adult is dead and two children are critically injured following a multi-vehicle crash Friday.
They responded to reports of a major crash on Green Bay road north of Wadsworth Road, Beach Park around 6:45 p.m.
Officials say preliminary investigation indicates that a 50-year-old Zion woman was traveling northbound in her 2017 Jeep Patriot on Green Bay Road when she illegally passed a tow truck that was towing a semi-tractor. She passed from the northbound lane into the southbound lane in order to pass.
The Jeep collided head-on with a southbound 2014 Kia Soul, driven by a 49-year-old Zion man. The collision caused the Jeep to rotate and strike the tow truck, driven by a 35-year-old Kenosha man.
A Ford Explorer, driven by a 58-year-old woman of unincorporated Zion, was also traveling southbound on Green Bay road directly behind the Kia. The Jeep also collided with the Ford.
Two children in the Kia were unrestrained and suffered critical injuries. The 11-year-old boy was flown via helicopter to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, and the 13-year-old boy was taken via ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
The driver of the Kia was taken to Vista East Hospital in Waukegan, where he was later pronounced deceased.
The driver of the Jeep suffered minor injuries and was taken to Vista East Hospital. A passenger in the Jeep, a 60-year-old Kenosha woman, also suffered minor injuries and was taken to Vista East Hospital. The driver of the Ford and a passenger, a 24-year-old man, suffered minor injuries and were taken to Vista East Hospital.
The tow truck driver was uninjured.
The Lake County Coroner's Office will perform an autopsy on the driver of the Kia on October 12.
Officials say the crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.
