Driver in weekend Lily Lake accident dies

A Sycamore man who was critically injured when his car veered into an oncoming lane and hit another vehicle Sunday in Lily Lake died Thursday, police said.

Evan A. Florian, 23, was pronounced dead just before noon at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, where he had been listed in critical condition since the crash, which also killed 88-year-old Anita Schwake of Woodstock.

Police say their investigation is ongoing, and they "cannot rule out" drugs or alcohol as potential factors in the now double-fatality.

The accident happened a little after 1:30 a.m. on Route 47, just south of Empire Road, when Florian's southbound Buick Regal crossed the center line and struck a Ford Escape, injuring two of its passengers and killing one, police said. Florian, the lone occupant in his car, had been cited for failure to yield and improper lane use.

One witness, Steve Wise, a Lily Lake village board member who lives near the crash site, said he heard what sounded like a hammer being thrown against the side of his house and went outside to investigate.

Wise, a former emergency medical technician, said Florian had been thrown about 30 feet from his vehicle and was suffering from massive head injuries and a punctured lung.

"I checked in his car to see if anybody else was in there," Wise recalled. "There were a couple of beer bottles, some water. He didn't have his seat belt on."

Both Schwake and Florian were rushed to Delnor, where Schwake was pronounced dead. Florian was admitted to the intensive-care unit, while two other passengers in the Escape were treated for less-serious injuries.

Kane County Sheriff's Lt. Pat Gengler said toxicology tests on Florian were pending Thursday, and the results would not be made public until an upcoming coroner's inquest. No other new details were available.

According to Wise, serious accidents are becoming common in the area of Sunday's crash, and additional police presence is needed. He said the speed limit was reduced to 40 mph from 45 mph as a result of similar concerns several years ago.

"It doesn't matter what it's dropped to if we don't have anyone to enforce it," he said.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=321153">Police: Woman killed by wrong-way driver in Lily Lake <span class="date">[09/13/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>