Hoffman Estates man dies after ‘car surfing’

A Hoffman Estates man died Saturday after falling off the top of a vehicle late Thursday, according to the McHenry County coroner’s office.

Austin Watts, 20, was riding on the rooftop of a 2002 Chevrolet Impala about 11:30 p.m. Thursday when he fell off and struck his head on the pavement in the Walmart parking lot at 1205 S. Rt. 31, according to a Crystal Lake police investigation.

Watts spent Friday at Centegra Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry in critical condition but died about 10:20 a.m. Saturday, according to a hospital official.

The McHenry County coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy at 9 a.m. Monday to determine the official cause of death.

Deputy Coroner Robert Locke said toxicology tests were conducted at the hospital but will not be released for four to six weeks. Locke said the autopsy is to determine the extent of Watts’ head trauma in determining the cause of death.

Crystal Lake police said Stephen D. Gallagher, 19, of the 1800 block of Hemlock Place in Schaumburg was driving the vehicle Watts fell from. He was initially charged with misdemeanor reckless driving and felony reckless conduct involving great bodily harm.

Police could not be reached Sunday morning concerning any potential changes to the charges in light of Watts’ death.