Police still investigating wrong-way crash that killed state trooper

Illinois State Police say they are still investigating the circumstances of the wrong-way crash in Lake County that killed Trooper Gerald "Jerry" Ellis over the weekend.

Ellis, 36, was heading home to Antioch early Saturday when his squad car was struck head-on by a vehicle traveling east on westbound Interstate 94, authorities said. The crash occurred about 3:25 a.m. in Green Oaks, east of Libertyville.

Ellis was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The driver of the other vehicle, whose identity has not been released, also died from injuries in the crash, police said.

State police Sgt. Jacqueline Cepeda said Sunday the investigation is ongoing, and no additional information is available.

Ellis, a military veteran, is the third trooper to be killed in a crash or on the side of the road this year. He was an 11-year veteran of the state police District 15, which is responsible for patrolling all 294 miles of interstate tollways in northern Illinois.

He is remembered by loved ones and fellow law enforcement officers as a devoted family man with a strong work ethic and a great sense of humor. He is survived by his wife, Stacy, daughters Kaylee and Zoe, brother Keith and his parents.

Donations to the Ellis family can be made by visiting the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation website at www.isphf.org/donations and noting Trooper Gerald Ellis Memorial Fund in the comments section. Donations also can be mailed to the foundation at P.O. Box 8168, Springfield, Illinois, 62791.

Funeral arrangements are pending.