Sheriff: Man killed while racing in Lake County

A 60-year-old Waukegan man died when his car slammed into an SUV Sunday while street racing in northern Lake County, authorities said.

Lake County sheriff's police said the crash occurred about 3:45 p.m. near Sheridan and Yorkhouse roads in Beach Park.

A preliminary investigation shows a Ford Mustang driven by Steven Cielesz was speeding south on Sheridan while racing a Mazda 3 sedan, authorities said. As the vehicles approached Yorkhouse Road, a Honda SUV driven by a 59-year-old Waukegan woman attempted to turn left from northbound Sheridan onto Yorkhouse and was struck broadside by the Mustang.

Cielesz was taken to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan, where he died from his injuries, sheriff's police said.

The driver of the Honda suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. The driver of the Mazda, a 26-year-old Zion man, is being considered a part of the crash, as the racing likely contributed to its cause, officials said.

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County sheriff's Technical Crash Investigations Unit.