A former Vernon Hills man has died after he suffered critical injuries when his car broke down and was struck by another vehicle on the border of Wheeling and Buffalo Grove.
The Wheeling Fire Department and Wheeling Police Department responded around 9:30 a.m. on November 6 to the area of Lake Cook Road and Milwaukee Avenue for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Wheeling Deputy Police Chief Michael Conway said the incident occurred in the eastbound lanes of Lake Cook Road west of Milwaukee Avenue.
A 49-year-old Vernon Hills man was driving a 2008 Smart Fortwo, Conway said.
The Smart Fortwo was stopped in the eastbound middle lane after it became disabled, Conway said.
A 2022 Audi Q5, also traveling eastbound on Lake Cook Road, struck the Smart Fortwo.
Conway said the driver of the Smart Fortwo was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical injuries.
Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said the man died in the intensive care unit on Saturday.
Newton identified the 49-year-old victim as Michael Szpisjak. While police said Szpisjak was a Vernon Hills resident, Newton said Szpisjak had recently moved to Northbrook.
The Wheeling Police Department Traffic Unit and the Major Case Assistance Team – Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) were called to the scene.
Eastbound Lake Cook Road was shut down for 15-20 minutes until one lane was able to be reopened, Conway said.
Newton said a preliminary coroner’s investigation indicated Szpisjak died from blunt force injuries in the crash. No autopsy was performed.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Wheeling Police Department and the Major Case Assistance Team STAR Unit.