Elgin man killed in St. Charles car crash

An Elgin man died after the SUV he was driving crashed into a tree Monday afternoon on Kirk Road .

St. Charles police and fire departments were dispatched to the 100 block of South Kirk Road for an accident with injuries about 3:43 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18

Officers found the vehicle next to a tree on the west side of South Kirk Road facing southeast. The GMC SUV had heavy front-end damage and the driver, who was the lone occupant of the vehicle, was unresponsive.

The driver later was identified as Manuel Barraza, 66, of Elgin. Firefighters extracted Barraza from the vehicle and attempted lifesaving measures.

Barraza was taken to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The initial investigation showed the vehicle had been driving north and struck the tree head-on.

Witnesses reported they observed the vehicle traveling north on South Kirk Road in the southbound lanes of traffic. The vehicle exited the roadway, struck a sign and struck a tree.

The St. Charles Police Department encourages anyone who might have witnessed the accident to call the police department at 630-377-4435.