Wilmington Man Dies, Indiana Man Injured In Route 59 Crash

SHOREWOOD, IL - A 21-year-old Wilmington resident was killed Wednesday night and the driver of an Allied Heating & Cooling van was seriously injured and later moved to the Loyola Medical Center in Maywood after a horrific head-on crash along Route 59. The Will County Coroner's Office said that Dustin Dransfeldt was pronounced dead at 7:55 p.m. at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. He died less than an hour after being involved in the crash. The Shorewood Police Deparmtent said the crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. near School Road.

The crash caused the Shorewood Police Department to shut down a portion of Route 59 at U.S. 52 for nearly five hours as emergency crews were reconstructing the crash that injured both drivers.

PRESS UPDATE

On Thursday afternoon, Shorewood's Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten informed Patch that Wednesday night's fatality is believed to be the first traffic death in the village of Shorewood limits in at least five years.

Shorewood Police said that Dransfeldt was driving the car and the Indiana man, who is in his 20s as well, was behind the wheel of the Allied Heating & Cooling van. The van driver was initially taken to St. Joe's hospital before being moved to Loyola in Maywood. The van driver has "sustained serious injuries," the Shorewood Police Department's report showed.

Barten also urged anyone who may have information about the crash to call the Shorewood Police Department main number at 815-725-1460. Police officers did interview a number of witnesses at the scene Wednesday night and police have obtained video surveillance from a number of businesses along Route 59, Barten said, but "there are people who may have additional information."

At this point, the police are still trying to determine which of the vehicles lost control and struck the other.

"The investigation into the determination of the crash is ongoing," a Shorewood Police Department press statement notes.

FUNERAL SCHEDULED

According to his published obituary, visitation for Dustin Dransfeldt will be in Braidwood at the R.W. Patterson Funeral Home & Crematory, Monday, Aug. 27 from 2-8 p.m. Funeral services will be next Tuesday at 11 a.m. Graveside service will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Braidwood.

His obituary notes that Dransfeldt "passed away suddenly August 22, 2018 due to injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Dustin was currently employed as a clamplift operator for Geodis. He enjoyed playing pool, frisbee golf, fishing, mushroom hunting, cooking, and camping. Member of the Christian Life Assembly of God in Diamond, IL."

ORIGINAL STORY

Shorewood Police Sgt. James Butcher told Patch at the scene around 9:15 p.m. that a car was driving northbound on Route 59 and a van was heading southbound, which is toward Interstate 55. One of the vehicles apparently crossed the center and struck the other. Both drivers were injured, and transported to local hospitals, Butcher said. He said he did not know the extent of their injuries. Both drivers were males, and there were no passengers in either vehicle, he indicated.

Several Shorewood Police cars responded to the scene, as did the Troy Fire Protection District, which has a fire station right nearby. The Illinois State Police crash reconstruction team was also summoned and working late into night trying to pinpoint the circumstances that led up to the crash.

Police told Patch that the Illinois State Police shut down the Shorewood interchange off Interstate 55 that leads to Seil Road. Other police were blocking traffic onto Route 59 near Seil Road and at Route 59 and U.S. 52, near the 7-Eleven in Shorewood.

Main image taken by Patch reader who furnished to Patch with permission to use.

Other images via John Ferak/Editor of Joliet Patch and Shorewood Patch