Wrong-way driver causes double fatal crash near Gurnee

GURNEE – Two drivers were killed when one of them was traveling the wrong way along a stretch of Route 41 near Gurnee, police said.

About 4:05 a.m. Jan. 9, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to northbound Route 41 about a half-mile north of Stearns School Road near Gurnee for a head-on traffic crash with injuries. Sheriff’s deputies located a Nissan Altima and Ford Edge with major damage, according to a news release.

Preliminary investigation shows the driver of the Nissan, identified as a 32-year-old man, was traveling south in the northbound lanes of traffic at a high rate of speed. The Nissan struck a northbound Ford Edge driven by a 54-year-old man. After impact, the Nissan caught on fire.

The driver of the Nissan, identified as Ronnie Groggins Jr. of Sterling Heights, Michigan, and recently of Grayslake, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford, identified as Ricky Smallwood of Antioch and formerly of North Chicago, was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical injuries but was pronounced dead after arriving there.

Autopsies performed Jan. 9 indicated both men died of blunt force injuries as a result of the crash.

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigation Team.