Grayslake man who died in traffic crash identified

GRAYSLAKE — A driver who was pronounced dead at the scene of a traffic crash Nov. 4 has been identified as a 73-year-old Grayslake resident.

About 5:30 a.m. Nov. 4, the Grayslake Fire Protection District and officers from the Grayslake Police Department responded to the area of Illinois Route 120 and Ivanhoe Road for a reported vehicle crash with injuries.

Upon arrival officers located a crash involving a semi-truck and a SUV. The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger of the SUV and the semi-truck driver were uninjured.

The Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) of Lake County was activated and responded to the scene.

Preliminary scene investigation indicated that the driver of the SUV may have become unresponsive prior to the crash occurring.

The deceased has been identified as 73-year-old James Bechtel of Grayslake, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office. An autopsy was completed at the Lake County Coroner’s Office that indicated Bechtel died of natural causes prior to the crash occurring.

The crash remains under investigation by the Grayslake Police Department and MCAT.

Source: The Daily Chronicle