Elgin man killed in St. Charles car crash

An Elgin man died on Nov. 18 after the SUV he was driving crashed into a tree on Kirk Road, authorities said.

St. Charles police and firefighters responded at 3:43 p.m. to the 100 block of South Kirk Road for an accident with injuries.

Officers found a GMC SUV on the west side of the road. The vehicle was next to a tree and had heavy front-end damage.

Authorities said the driver - the sole occupant of the SUV - was unresponsive.

The driver was later identified as Manuel Barraza, 66, of Elgin.

Firefighters extracted Barraza from the vehicle and attempted life-saving measures. Barraza then was taken to Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Authorities said the initial investigation showed the SUV struck the tree head-on.

Witnesses reported that they had observed the vehicle traveling northbound on South Kirk Road in the southbound lanes of traffic. The vehicle exited the roadway, struck a sign, and hit a tree.

The St. Charles Police Department is encouraging anyone who might have witnessed the accident to contact the department (630) 377-4435.