Fatal Head-On Crash in Highland Tuesday Night
Highland – A person was killed Tuesday night following a violent head-on collision at Kennedy Avenue and Hart Road, according to Highland Police.
At approximately 9:37 p.m. on September 9, 2025, officers were dispatched to the intersection for a personal injury accident. When they arrived, they found a 2020 Dodge Durango and a 2021 Jeep with severe front-end damage and debris scattered across the roadway.
Investigators say the Jeep, driven by a 69-year-old Highland woman, was traveling southbound on Kennedy Avenue when, for reasons still under investigation, it crossed the center line and struck the Dodge Durango head-on. The Jeep driver, who was the only occupant of her vehicle, suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to a Chicago-area hospital, where she later died.
The Dodge was driven by a 43-year-old woman from East Chicago and carried a total of five occupants. Among them was a 14-year-old girl, also from East Chicago, who sustained severe injuries. She was airlifted to a Chicago hospital.
The remaining four occupants of the Dodge were treated by medics at the scene, with some transported to area hospitals for what police described as non-life-threatening injuries.
The South Lake County Crash Reconstruction Team was called in to lead the investigation. Police believe preliminary evidence indicates the Jeep drifted left of center before the impact.
Highland Police expressed condolences to the families of the victims, calling the incident a “horrible crash.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
