Oakwood Hills woman killed in crash near Volo

VOLO – An 83-year-old Oakwood Hills woman was killed Aug. 12 when the car she was driving was struck by a fuel tanker truck near Volo, authorities said.

About 7:25 a.m. Aug. 12, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 31200 block of North Route 12 near Volo for a traffic crash with injuries, according to a news release. Deputies found a Chevrolet Cruze with heavy damage after it had collided with a fuel tanker truck.

Preliminary investigation shows the driver of the Chevrolet, Dorothy Lasota, 83, of Oakwood Hills, was exiting a parking lot on the east side of Route 12. She traveled west from the parking lot toward the southbound lanes as the semitruck, driven by a 39-year-old McHenry man, was traveling north, police said.

Police said Lasota abruptly made a U-turn in front of the semitruck. The driver of the semitruck drove into the grassy median to avoid a direct collision. The Chevrolet Cruze struck the rear of the semitruck, causing major damage.

Lasota suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the semitruck was uninjured and is cooperating with the investigation.

An autopsy was conducted Aug. 14 at the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Preliminary results of the autopsy indicate Lasota died from blunt force injuries as a result of the crash.

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations unit with the assistance of the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team.