DuPage Coroner Issues Correction In Fatal Crash Involving Naperville Officer

NAPERVILLE, IL — DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen issued a statement Friday afternoon responding to a media report stating that a 73-year-old woman was "at fault" when she was killed last month in a crash with a Naperville police officer — and attributing the statement to the coroner's office.

Jorgensen said he was "(correcting) the conclusions" of a Naperville Sun article about the April 8 crash that killed Phyllis C. Manderson of Naperville, headlined "Woman killed in crash with Naperville cop at fault: coroner." By late Friday, the headline had been changed to read, "Woman killed in crash with Naperville cop failed to yield, coroner’s report says."

Jorgensen said it's not within the scope of his work to assess fault when it comes to fatalities. "At no point in our investigative reports was a conclusion made as to fault," he said in the statement. "It is the obligation and duty of the Coroner's Office to identify deceased persons, notify next of kin and then determine the cause and manner of death. It is not within the scope or authority of the Coroner's Office to assess fault. Any investigation of fault is the prerogative of the independent investigating agency currently reviewing this incident. This investigation is ongoing and not completed, as stated in the article."

The article cited an investigative report by Deputy Coroner Philip Mayer that included information from a DuPage County Deputy Sheriff, a police official and a paramedic saying that Manderson "apparently failed to yield" while making a turn prior to the fatal crash.

The Naperville Police Department has drawn criticism for failing to release information until several days after the crash and been ordered to respond to a letterfrom the Illinois Attorney General requesting information on why it denied a Freedom of Information Act request for police reports pertaining to the crash filed by the Sun.

The crash occurred at around 6:01 p.m. April 8 when a marked squad car driving by a Naperville officer collided with Manderson's Hyundai Elantra near Ogden Avenue and Feldott Lane. The officer, a 26-year veteran of the department, was treated at a local hospital and released after the crash.