2 dead in Wadsworth head-on crash involving semi-truck, 2 other vehicles

WADSWORTH, Ill. (WGN) - Two people died in a head-on crash involving three vehicles Thursday morning in Wadsworth. The Lake County (Illinois) Sheriff's Office said at around 7:50 p.m., authorities were sent to a head-on crash on Route 173, west of North Kilbourne Road. The preliminary investigation revealed a 2009 Acura sedan, driven by a 51-year-old man from Stoughton, Wisconsin, was traveling eastbound on Route 173. Witnesses said the driver appeared to be having a hard time staying in his lane. The vehicle eventually drifted into the path of a westbound Freightliner semi-truck, which was carrying about 35,000 pounds of cargo, resulting in a head-on crash, according to investigators. The sheriff's office said a Honda minivan traveling eastbound then crashed into the Acura after the initial crash. The driver of the Acura and front seat passenger, identified as a 45-year-old woman from Stoughton, Wisconsin, were pronounced dead at the scene; the driver of the Honda minivan was taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries, while the driver of the semi-truck was not hurt, according to authorities. The sheriff's office said the driver of the semi-truck is also cooperating with the investigation. The crash remains under investigation.