A 19-year-old DeMotte woman was killed in a head-on car crash late Tuesday afternoon.
Witnesses told Lake County officers responding to the scene that an SUV traveling east on East 117th Avenue was tailgating a Jeep when it crossed the centerline at the 7000 block in order to pass it, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s social media page. The SUV then collided head-on into a car heading west, the release said.
The driver of the westbound car was Grace Norris, according to a release from the Lake County Coroner’s Office. She was traveling with two 13-year-olds from Lowell — one of whom was her sister — and both children were taken to Chicago hospitals for treatment, the release from the sheriff’s department said. One was flown to the hospital and the other was transported by ambulance.
Norris died from blunt force trauma at the scene and the coroner’s office ruled her death an accident. The coroner’s office was called to the scene at 4:17 p.m.
The driver of the SUV is a 44-year-old Crown Point woman, according to the release.
Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez offered his sympathy as well as a cautionary note.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in this incident. It emphasizes the importance of using extra caution while operating a vehicle on any roadway, but especially on rural roads,” the release said.
The crash is still under investigation, the release said.
Crown Point Fire and EMS and the Lake County Sheriff Department Reconstruction Team also responded.
