Joliet Woman Identified By Coroner After Jeep Crash With Semi On Broadway Street

CREST HILL, IL ? Crest Hill Police Chief Ed Clark revealed that a 34-year-old Joliet woman was killed Friday afternoon after being ejected from a Jeep Wrangler during a crash with a semi-tractor trailer on Route 53 near Renwick Road. Three more people who was passengers in the Jeep were taken to the hospital, including a 54-year-old man, who was her front seat passenger.

On Saturday, Will County Coroner Laurie Summers announced that the 34-year-old fatality victim was Keiri I. Gonzalez of Joliet. An autopsy to help determine the cause and manner of Gonzalez's death was scheduled to take place over the weekend.

According to Clark, at 12:15 p.m., Crest Hill police learned of the serious injury crash involving a 71-year-old semi tractor-trailer out of Chicago. At the scene, police officers found the woman ejected from the Jeep that she was driving. The woman was rushed by Lockport Township ambulance to St. Joe's hospital in Joliet, where she later died.

A man and two juveniles were also inside the Jeep and were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. The Illinois State Police responded to help Crest Hill reconstruct the crash.

Clark told Joliet Patch the crash did not occur at any intersection, but rather in the 16000 block of Route 53, in Crest Hill's jurisdiction. He said the vehicles were traveling in opposite directions ? the Jeep heading south toward Joliet while the semi-trailer going north toward Romeoville.

The chief explained it was not a head-on crash, but that one of the vehicles hit the side of the other vehicle, causing the crash.

As of 4 p.m., the chief said the investigation remained underway and he did not know whether the Jeep or the semi crossed the center line of the four-lane state highway, causing the wreck.

Route 53 was re-opened by the Crest Hill police as of 4 p.m.