Des Plaines man, 24, identified as driver in fatal Arlington Hts. crash

Authorities identified a 24-year-old Des Plaines man Sunday as the driver who died after crashing a minivan through a fence and careening into a backyard Saturday in Arlington Heights.

Gerardo Alvarez-Villalva was pronounced dead at 7:02 p.m. Saturday, about 30 minutes after he was found unresponsive behind the wheel of a minivan that barreled into a yard near West Algonquin Road and Kennicott Avenue, authorities said.

Police said witnesses described seeing the silver minivan speeding east on Algonquin at about 6:30 p.m. when it suddenly struck a median, crossed the westbound lanes and crashed through the fence of a backyard before hitting a tree.

First responders extricated Alvarez-Villalva from the vehicle, but he had "succumbed to multiple traumatic injuries received upon impact," police said.

There were no passengers in the vehicle and no additional injuries were reported.

Police on Sunday said the crash remains under investigation.