Driver Jumps Out Of Moving Car, Off Of Overpass

LAKE BLUFF, IL — A Libertyville man was seriously injured after he jumped out of a moving car he was driving before leaping off an overpass Monday night in unincorporated Lake Bluff, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's deputies were dispatched at 6:10 p.m. to the area of Route 137 just east of Interstate 94 for a report of a person who had jumped from the overpass on to the railroad tracks below, according to Sgt. Chris Covelli.

A 28-year-old Libertyville man had been driving westbound on Route 137 (Buckley Road) in a 2014 Kia Rio with a 42-year-old man in the passenger seat of his car, Covelli said.

According to the passenger, the driver opened his door and intentionally fell out of the vehicle and onto the road. Covelli said the passenger was "extremely shocked" and had no idea know why the driver had just jumped out of the car.

After exiting the moving vehicle, witnesses said the driver got up and jumped off the overpass, falling about 30 feet onto the tracks, according to Covelli. Trains were halted on the Canadian Pacific rail line for about an hour as authorities cleared the scene.

The driver was taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with serious injuries, according to Covelli. Authorities believe the man was attempting to harm himself during a mental health emergency. No citations were issued and the man will receive a mental health evaluation.