Police Identify Fatal Car Crash Victim

Police have released the name of the victim of a deadly two-car crash that took place early Thursday morning in Northbrook.

Zofia E. Strzalkowska, 58, of Mt. Prospect, died at the scene of the crash, which happened at the corner of Commercial Avenue and Sanders Road at about 1:30 a.m. 

Strzalkowska, who worked in Northbrook, was turning left from westbound Commercial Avenue to head south on Sanders Road when a second car heading northbound struck her vehicle, according to police.

Northbrook police are currently questioning the driver of the second car, which contained three male occupants, one of them from Buffalo Grove.

The surviving driver was treated at Lutheran General Hospital and released to police for questioning Thursday. One passenger, who was also taken to Lutheran General, remains in the hospital. The third occupant of the car declined medical treatment at the scene of the crash, police reported.

Northbrook police are still investigating the accident, along with the Major Crash Assistance Team and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

“The information right now is still being developed,” said Police Comm. Harry Bekiaris.

If the State’s Attorney’s Office chooses to press charges against the surviving driver, those will be likely be filed Thursday or early Friday, he said.

No information was available on whether alcohol was involved in the crash, although drivers in any fatal accident are always tested for blood alcohol concentration, according to Bekiaris. 

-Previous article at 10:30 a.m.-

One person died and two other people were taken to the hospital after a car crash in Northbrook early Thursday morning.

Two cars collided at Commercial Avenue and Sanders Road sometime around 1:30 a.m., according to Deputy Fire Chief Ron Schinleber. 

One driver, a Mount Prospect resident, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, according to Schinleber. Police and firefighters worked until 2:10 a.m. before they finished extricating people from the vehicles, he said. 

There were three people in the other car. One was taken to Glenbrook Hospital, another to Lutheran General and a third declined medical help. At least one of the people in that car was from Buffalo Grove, Schinleber said. The other two did not supply their addresses to officials on the scene.

Police Chief Charles Wernick said the matter was still under investigation, and that the police department will release more details later today.