The month of July has been deadly dangerous for motorcyclists in Kane County, evidenced by the area’s fifth fatal crash on Sunday, July 31, 2016.

Kane County Sheriff’s Office detectives and members of the Kane County Crash Reconstruction Team are investigating the Sunday-evening crash on Jericho Road that took the life of Pawel Czop, 31, of Schaumburg.

According to a Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies were dispatched at 6:40 p.m. Sunday to a traffic crash with injuries on Jericho Road near the intersection of McCannon Road in unincorporated Sugar Grove Township.

The initial investigation indicates that a 2010 Dodge Charger driven by a 16-year-old Sandwich resident with her father in the passenger seat was traveling east on Jericho Road followed by a second vehicle and a 2010 Honda motorcycle driven by Czop. The Charger slowed to turn north onto McCannon Road, and teh vehicle following the Charger slowed, as well.

At that time, for unknown reasons, the motorcycle drove into the oncoming lane of traffic and began to try to pass the vehicles, the news release said. As the motorcycle traveled east, in the oncoming lane of traffic, it struck the rear driver’s side of the Dodge as it was turning.

Czop, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle. He was transported to Mercy Center Hospital in Aurora, where he was pronounced deceased.

The 16-year-old driver of the Dodge and her father were transported to Copley Hospital in Aurora and treated for minor injuries. No one in the second vehicle was injured.

Jericho Road was closed in the area for about four hours as the crash was investigated.

Detectives have not yet determined if drugs, alcohol or excessive speed played a role in this crash and no citations have been issued, the news release said.

Four other fatal motorcycle crashes have been reported by Kane County police departments since July 2, 2016.

• Susan Desensi, 54, of Bartlett was killed a little before 11:44 a.m. Saturday, July 2, in a crash on IL Route 20 near the intersection of Highland Woods Boulevard. Desensi had been a passenger on a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle driven by a 56-year-old man who swerved to avoid a 2006 Honda Accord.
• Jordan Hale, 25, of St. Charles was killed July 8 when his motorcycle crashed into a flatbed truck on IL Route 25 in Elgin.
• Juan J. Ortega of the 1700 block of Ivy Lane, Montgomery died from massive head injuries he sustained in the crash at around 2:40 p.m. July 10 at Farnsworth Avenue and Corporate Boulevard.
• A 45-year-old man was killed Sunday, July 17, 2016, after his motorcycle stuck a curb, then a utility pole in the area of Center Street and Dexter Avenue in Elgin.

SOURCE: Kane County Sheriff’s Office news release

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