Executive Summary
- Jonathan C. Wenzel, 20, died following a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 55.
- Police report Wenzel’s vehicle was speeding on a frontage road before going airborne onto the highway.
- One other driver was hospitalized in critical but stable condition; two others declined treatment.
A 20-year-old Romeoville man was killed early Thursday morning in a multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 55 after his vehicle went airborne from a frontage road, according to Will County authorities.
The crash occurred at approximately 4:23 a.m. The Romeoville Police Department stated in a release that a vehicle traveling west on Frontage Road at a high rate of speed failed to navigate a curve. The vehicle subsequently vaulted through a barrier, launching onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 55. Once the vehicle landed on the highway, it was struck by another motorist, police said.
The Will County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased driver as Jonathan C. Wenzel, 20, of Romeoville. Coroner Laurie Summers announced that Wenzel was pronounced dead at 9:10 a.m. on Thursday. According to the Plainfield Fire Protection District, three vehicles in total were involved in the incident.
Emergency responders transported one other individual to Bolingbrook Hospital. Fire officials described the patient’s condition as critical but stable, noting the injuries were not life-threatening. Two additional individuals involved in the crash declined medical transport at the scene.
Traffic Investigation & Safety Analysis
This incident underscores the catastrophic potential of high-speed collisions near highway interchanges. Law enforcement officials are expected to conduct a thorough reconstruction of the crash to determine the precise velocity and mechanical factors that allowed the vehicle to breach the barrier between the frontage road and the interstate. As the investigation remains active, authorities will analyze toxicology results and road conditions to fully establish the sequence of events leading to the fatality.
