Fatal Crash Kills 5 Year Old Boy; Charges Considered Against Driver

BEACH PARK, Ill. (WLIP) — A head-on collision on Green Bay Road resulted in the death of a 5-year-old boy after a vehicle is alleged to have illegally passed other cars, with authorities indicating potential criminal charges will be pursued.

Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies responded at approximately 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to a crash just north of Hart Street in Beach Park.

They found a Chevrolet Malibu and a GMC Sierra involved in a head-on collision.

Preliminary investigation revealed a 24-year-old Waukegan man driving the Chevrolet was traveling southbound and illegally passing other vehicles by driving in the northbound lanes.

The vehicle collided head-on with a GMC Sierra driven by a 57-year-old man from Pleasant Prairie.

The GMC driver sustained serious injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital.

The Chevrolet’s driver also suffered serious injuries and required extrication by fire department personnel.

Initially, the Chevrolet’s driver told deputies no one else was in the vehicle.

However, deputies later discovered a critically injured 5-year-old boy beneath debris behind the driver’s seat.

Sy’mere McKnight, 5, of Zion, was transported to a local hospital and pronounced deceased.

A 2-year-old boy, who was seated on the driver’s lap, was transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago for treatment.

An autopsy conducted Wednesday at the Lake County Coroner’s Office determined Sy’mere died from blunt force injuries.

Preliminary findings indicated neither child was properly secured in a child safety seat at the time of the crash.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Traffic Crash Investigators continue to investigate, with authorities stating that appropriate criminal charges will be pursued.