On October 1, 2025, at 10:22 p.m., Officers responded to Route 53 (South Chicago Street) and Dollar Tree Lane for report of a traffic crash with injuries.
A preliminary investigation found that a Volvo semitractor-trailer driven by a 58-year-old man from Orland Park was eastbound on Dollar Tree Lane when it attempted a left turn onto northbound Route 53.
The truck crossed into the path of a Dodge Dart driven by a 40-year-old man from Wilmington who was traveling south on Route 53. The Dodge struck the trailer and came to rest beneath it. The driver of the Dodge was pronounced dead at the scene by the Will County Coroner’s Office. A 2-year-old boy, who was
secured in a child safety seat in the backseat of the Dodge, was extricated from the vehicle and transported in serious condition to St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department.
The roadway was closed for several hours while crash investigators reconstructed the scene.
Identification of the deceased driver and the manner of death will be determined by the Will County Coroner’s Office.
This crash remains under investigation. Anyone with video footage or information regarding this crash is asked to contact the Joliet Police Department Traffic Division at (815) 724-3010.