Joliet Teen, 18, Dies In Route 59 Crash Near Hammel Woods: Shorewood Police Department

SHOREWOOD, IL — The Shorewood Police Department is investigating its first traffic fatality of 2026 after an 18-year-old Joliet driver died on Thursday night in a wreck with another vehicle along Route 59.

The Will County Coroner's Office announced that the traffic fatality victim has been identified as 18-year-old Joliet resident Isaak Torres.

At approximately 10:15 p.m., the Shorewood Police Department and the Troy Fire Protection District responded to a two-vehicle traffic crash on Route 59 just north of Ridge Drive, according to Deputy Chief Jason Barten.

Troy Emergency Medical Services transported the drivers, each the sole occupant of their vehicles, to Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. One driver, a 23-year-old Joliet man, was treated for minor injuries and later released. The second driver, an 18-year-old Joliet resident, died from his injuries at the hospital.

Due to the complexity of the crash, the Shorewood Police Department requested assistance from the Illinois State Police and Will County Emergency Management for traffic crash reconstruction and traffic management, Barten said.

The Illinois State Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash in coordination with the Shorewood Police Department and the Will County Coroner’s Office. The coroner's office will be releasing the fatality victim's identity, the press release noted.

Shorewood police and Illinois State Police are asking anyone with information on the crash to come forward. Based on information they've gathered, police say they believe additional witnesses to the crash may have information that could help the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Shorewood Police Investigative Division at 815-725-1460.

"The police departments extend our condolences to the family and friends of Isaak Torres as they mourn his sudden loss," officials said.