Victim Suffers Severe Burns In Car Fire Off Black Road: Joliet Police

SHOREWOOD, IL — A 54-year-old Joliet man is in serious condition following Wednesday afternoon's car fire in the Troy Cronin Elementary School's back parking lot in the 200 block of Black Road, Joliet police announced.

Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English said fellow officers were sent to the 2700 block of Harbor Drive, off Essington Road, around 2:35 p.m. for a missing person's incident, and officers learned the missing man may be suicidal.

Officers also learned the man was last seen in a car, so officers conducted an extensive area search without success.

Just before 4 p.m., Troy's Fire Protection District and Shorewood's Police Department notified Joliet police of a car fire in a parking lot in Shorewood's 200 block of Black Road where a man was severely burned, English advised Joliet Patch in Wednesday night's press release.

"Joliet officers responded to this scene and confirmed that the vehicle fire victim was the male reported missing from the 2700 block of Harbor Drive," English stated. "The fire was extinguished, and the victim was transported to Ascension St Joseph Medical Center in serious condition by the Troy Fire Protection District."

Troy Fire Chief Paul Hertzmann notified Joliet Patch the fire was reported at 3:50 p.m.

When he pulled up to the scene in the back parking lot of Troy Cronin, Hertzmann said he saw the car fire victim about 50 feet away. Troy firefighters tried to get an emergency helicopter to the scene, but it was grounded because of the weather. As a result, Troy paramedics rushed the burn victim to St. Joe's hospital, the fire chief said.

Hertzmann said the victim suffered burns to his face, head and chest. He said the victim was conscious and alert at the time Troy's paramedics took him away in the ambulance. Several officers from the Shorewood and Joliet police departments converged on the scene, and the Troy Fire Protection District put out the blaze. Shorewood said it assisted Joliet on the incident.

Anyone who is struggling can get help by dialing 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.