In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, The Herald-News newspaper will not be published February 18.
NEW LENOX – A 31-year-old Chicago man has died after being ejected from his stopped vehicle in a crash Thursday morning on Interstate 80.
New Lenox firefighters responded just about 4 a.m. Thursday to I-80 east of Interstate 355 near New Lenox for a two-vehicle crash, New Lenox fire spokeswoman Marisa Schreiber said. The crash was at milepost 140.5, according to the Illinois State Police.
A 43-year-old Joliet man was driving a 2005 Toyota 4Runner east in I-80’s center lane, when he swerved to avoid a 2011 Kia Soul that was stopped, facing north, without any lights on, according to a news release from the Illinois State Police.
It’s not clear why the Kia was stopped.
The front of the Toyota struck the front driver’s side of the Kia, ejecting Aaron Scofield, 31, of Chicago, from his vehicle.
Both men were taken to area hospitals. Schreiber said she could not disclose the individuals’ conditions.
Scofield later was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said. No charges had been issued at the time of the release.
The Illinois State Police Reconstruction Unit was investigating the incident Thursday morning, and all lanes were reopened about 7:56 a.m.
