Park Ridge police are investigating a fatal crash in the early hours of Tuesday on Oakton Street, they said in a news release.
One person, whom police identified as Shalom Peters, 37, of Morton Grove, died in the crash, which involved a single car carrying only the driver, according to police. It occurred about 2:38 a.m. in the 1000 block of Oakton, between Cumberland and Greenwood.
Police said their preliminary investigation has determined that the vehicle involved, a 2017 black Mercedes SUV, had been traveling eastbound in the 1000 block of Oakton Street at a high rate of speed when it crossed over into the westbound lanes of traffic and struck two utility poles located on the north side of the street. Peters was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Power outages occurred in the area due to utility poles being damaged.
The MCAT Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting the Park Ridge Police Department in investigating the crash.
Police also said that while rumors have circulated that the victim crashed due to a police chase, those rumors are false and no police chase occurred.
