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The owner of butcher shop and deli Butcher on the Block in Lake in the Hills as been identified as the pedestrian who was fatally struck by multiple cars Monday morning near the intersection of Route 31 and Miller Road near West Dundee.
Authorities identified the deceased as Thomas Yucuis, 69, of East Dundee.
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at 5:58 a.m. Monday to the intersection of Route 31 and Miller Road in Dundee Township for a report of “multiple vehicles that had struck a pedestrian on the roadway,” according to a news release.
Witness statements taken by detectives indicate that a pedestrian was “seen walking in the southbound lanes” in “all dark clothing” when he was “struck by three vehicles” all traveling south on Route 31, according to the release.
“All involved vehicles stopped to render aid and called 911 until responding deputies and medics arrived,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
Upon arrival, medics pronounced the pedestrian deceased at the scene, according to the sheriff’s release. The office later issued a follow-up release saying the coroner’s office was still in the process of formally identifying the remains.
The identities of the three drivers and witnesses have not been released by the sheriff’s office, as the investigation is still ongoing, according to the release. The three drivers are a 59-year-old Crystal Lake man driving an Acura sedan, a 36-year-old Algonquin man driving a Cadillac sedan and a 49-year-old Lake Villa man driving a Chevrolet Cruz.
No citations have been issued so far, due to the ongoing investigation.
The crash was reported on the sheriff’s Facebook page at about 7:20 a.m urging drivers to avoid the area as the intersection was closed for several hours.
The Kane County Sheriff’s Office thanked that Carpentersville Police Department, the Kane County Office of Emergency Management, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Kane County Forest Preserve for assisting with the crash.
Yucuis and his wife Jill are prominent local business owners who have run Butcher on the Block, located at 4660 W. Algonquin Road, since 2000. Just last month, Butcher on the Block won this year’s Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce award for in the best in the Hospitality/Food/Entertainment category.
Social media posts of condolences started to pour out Monday evening. Lake in the Hills Village President Ray Bogdanowski said on his Facebook that he is “deeply saddened.”
“His long-standing commitment to Butcher on the Block and the community has been invaluable,” Bogdanowski said in the post. “Our entire community’s thoughts are with his family and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Posts from businesses like Parkside Pub and Bub Subs in Algonquin also honored Yucuis for the impact he has made on the community.
“Tom is a local legend,” Bubs Subs owner Dominick Pulli said. ”Such a great guy to deal with. The main butcher for my house since they opened. Before we opened BUBS SUBS 14 years ago, this was my main sandwich shop, too."