A Somonauk man died on Saturday after suffering a medical emergency and then a car crash while on the road in rural DeKalb County, authorities said.

Edward Smith, 81, was identified by the DeKalb County Coroner’s Office Monday.

Smith was headed south on Somonauk Road in an SUV about 1/4 mile south of the Chicago Road intersection when he “suffered a major medical emergency,” according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.

As a result, his SUV collided into the back of a black 2012 Dodge Ram driven by a 69-year-old from Plano, also headed south on Somonauk Road.

The SUV crashed into a ditch east of the road and spun, authorities said.

When deputies arrived, they provided immediate medical attention to Smith.

Paramedics with the Somonauk Fire Protection District took him to Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital in Sandwich. Smith was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The driver of the Dodge Ram was not injured.

This story was updated at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 3, 2025.