Members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team conducted an extensive investigation into a crash that occurred on Stanton Point Road in Ingleside. The crash involved a Chrysler 300 and a pedestrian, which resulted in the death of Michael Brennan at age 53. Brennan lived in the block of 36400 Hawthorne Lane in Ingleside. The investigation included a detailed examination and analysis of the scene, interviews with witnesses, vehicle inspections, reviewing materials obtained via subpoena, and more.
The investigation revealed that the driver of the Chrysler, Brian J. King, 40, of the block of 35500 Tami Lane, Ingleside, was traveling northbound on Route 59 on Wednesday, June 3, 2021. A witness called 911 to report the Chrysler, driven by King, was swerving off the roadway while driving. As King approached Stanton Point Road, he continued swerving out of his lane of traffic and struck the Michael Brennan, who was walking on grass and gravel next to the shoulder.
Brennan was transported to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Condell Medical Center in critical condition, but subsequently died of his injuries 13 days later on June 16, 2021.
King was found to have numerous drugs in his system, and which were in his system at the time of the crash. According to the Lake County Sheriff’s the drugs caused him to be impaired while driving.
After reviewing all of the evidence and facts surrounding this crash, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the following charges:
Aggravated Driving with Any Amount of a Drug in Breath, Blood, or Urine (Class 2 Felony)
Aggravated DUI Causing Death (Class 2 Felony)
Reckless Homicide (Class 3 Felony)
An arrest warrant was issued on April 11, 2022, and a Lake County Judge set the bond amount at $500,000.00. King was arrested without incident at his residence later in the day on April 11, 2022. Following a hearing this morning, King remains held in the Lake County Jail on $500,000.00 bail. He is next due in court on May 2, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom T020.
“This was a completely preventable tragedy which took the life of an innocent person, because someone made the careless and selfish decision to drive impaired. I am proud of the tenacious effort put in by our traffic crash investigators to bring charges against the offender. I am also thankful for the witness who not only called 911, but stayed at the scene to provide a statement to traffic crash investigators. I hope this conclusion brings the first steps of closure to the Brennan family.”
— Sheriff John D. Idleburg
“All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.”
— Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies and Fox Lake Fire Protection District firefighters and paramedics responded about 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, 2021 to the vehicle versus pedestrian traffic crash on Route 59 at Stanton Point Road, Ingleside. Lake County Sheriff’s deputies arrived and located a black Chrysler 300 stopped on the shoulder and a critically injured 53-year-old man of Ingleside, who was struck by the Chrysler.
Preliminary investigation showed the Chrysler, driven by a 39-year-old man of Ingleside, was traveling eastbound on Route 59 (Grand Avenue) in the area of Stanton Point Road (in this particular area, Route 59 runs east and west). The pedestrian was in the same area, walking on the south shoulder of Route 59. There are no sidewalks on Route 59 in this area.
For an unknown reason at the beginning of the investigation, the driver of the Chrysler 300 veered onto the southern shoulder on the eastbound side of Route 59. The Chrysler struck the pedestrian and the pedestrian sustained major injuries as a result.
Regarding eastbound travel on Route 59, there is a slight left curve in the roadway before the crash scene — where the driver left the roadway and struck the pedestrian on the eastbound shoulder. The Speed Limit on Route 59 is 40 MPH, according to a Google Maps Street View image captured October 2018.
The pedestrian was transported to Level 1 Trauma Center Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was listed in critical condition. The driver of the Chrysler was uninjured.
Following the on scene investigation, the Lake County Sheriff’s office traffic crash investigators continued to investigate and were working to determine if impairment or distraction were factors in the crash. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit continued the investigation.
A witness at the scene immediately after the crash occurred reported that the driver appeared to be DUI, and the pedestrian was severely injured.
Ingleside is located just south of Fox Lake, and just east of the Village of Fox Lake.
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