Round Lake teen killed in one-car crash

Police investigating an accident that killed one Round Lake teen and injured two others said alcohol was not a factor in the crash, but speed and the weather might have been.

Christopher Campos, 18, of Round Lake, was killed and two others were injured after their SUV slid off Rollins Road and into a telephone pole near Drury Lane in Grayslake about 9 p.m. Sunday.

Campos was pronounced dead at 10:15 p.m. at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, said Lake County Coroner Richard Keller.

He said Campos was sitting in the rear passenger's-side seat. The pole hit the car where Campos was sitting, resulting in massive trauma to his chest and abdomen, Keller said.

All three people in the SUV were transported to Condell, officials said.

An unidentified woman in the vehicle, believed to be 18, was transported in critical condition, officials said, while the driver - Luis Kano, 18, of Round Lake Beach - suffered minor injuries, said Grayslake Police Cmdr Matt McCutcheon.

McCutcheon believes both Kano and the woman had been released from the hospital by Monday afternoon.

McCutcheon added there was no indication Kano was impaired at the time of the accident, but that blood samples were taken from him at the hospital.

McCutcheon added road conditions and speed contributed to the accident.

"We know Kano was passing another vehicle just before the accident, and that the second vehicle was traveling at 55 mph," he said. "We think (Kano) hit a patch of black ice or snow in the area and lost control of the vehicle."

Kano has been issued a citation for driving too fast for conditions, McCutcheon added.

He added the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team continues to investigate the accident.

Meanwhile, relatives said the energetic Campos had a winning smile and will be missed by many.

"He had a lot of friends and people that loved him," said Yvette Campos, cousin of the Round Lake High School senior. "He loved to play soccer and loved to be with his family."

Cousin Wendy Campos, 18, of Round Lake, said Christopher was a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan and a music lover. He treated everyone with respect, she said.

"This is such a huge shock to us because he was such a great person," she said. "Everyone is just numb that this happened."

Kano and the unidentified woman also are Round Lake High School students, Principal Kurt Sinclair said.

Students, teachers and administrators were in shock Monday, he said.

"It's pretty devastating to our school community," Sinclair said.

Sinclair described Campos as "a great, all-around kid" who was well liked and was a regular spectator at Round Lake High sporting events.

The school's crisis team met before classes began Monday and opened a crisis center on campus. There was a steady flow of students at the center during the day, Sinclair said.

Classes went on as scheduled.

"It's very difficult, but we're trying to operate school as normal today," Sinclair said.

A crisis team was also established at nearby Grayslake High School to help any grieving students, Superintendent Catherine Finger said.