Palatine man killed in one-car crash

A 24-year-old Palatine man was killed early Saturday when he lost control of his car and struck a tree in Palatine, police said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Christopher Orsini of Palatine Sunday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Police are releasing few details about the 1 a.m. single-vehicle crash. They said Orsini was heading northbound on Quentin Road near Peregrine Drive when he hit a curb and lost control of the car, which then skidded and smashed into a parkway tree on the driver’s side door.

Orsini was dead when paramedics arrived, police said.

A male passenger in the vehicle, who police didn’t identify, was relatively unscathed in the crash, police said.

The passenger was “helped” out of the wreckage by a bystander, authorities said.

Palatine Fire Department Battalion Chief Patrick Gratzianna said a crew of eight firefighters worked to extricate Orsini from the four-door sedan shortly after they were alerted at 1:07 a.m. He called the extrication process “extended” due to the damage the driver’s side sustained in the crash.

“The entire driver’s side had to be removed,” Gratzianna said. “Both the front door and the back door.”

Paramedics attempted to revive Orsini, but he never regained consciousness, fire officials said. Both Orsini and the passenger were transported to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights where Orsini was eventually pronounced dead and the passenger was treated for minor injuries.

Police said it could be Monday before the department releases more details about the crash.