Man found dead in Gurnee ditch may have been hit by car

A 31-year-old Waukegan man found dead in a ditch Thursday morning on the east side of Gurnee might have been struck and killed by a car, officials said Friday.

Anthony Hawkins, whose body was discovered at 10:26 a.m. Thursday, died of multiple blunt force injuries, according to an autopsy performed Friday by the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Gurnee police Officer Shawn Gaylor said Friday that it is suspected the man was struck by a car. Investigators with the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team are trying to determine what happened.

Coroner Jennifer Banek said the results of the autopsy do not rule out the possibility that Hawkins was struck by a car or other vehicle.

Hawkins' body was found in a ditch near the intersection of North Delaney Road and Grove Avenue, around a block north of the intersection of North Delaney Road and Route 41.

The cause of Hawkins' death remains under investigation.