Coroner identifies Cook County sergeant who died in Elgin
A Cook County sheriff's sergeant pronounced dead after a single-vehicle crash Sunday in Elgin was identified by authorities as Gary Newsom of Chicago.
The preliminary cause of death for the 49-year-old Newsom is coronary atherosclerosis, the Kane County coroner's office said in a news release Wednesday afternoon.
The results of the autopsy Wednesday showed "a significant amount of blockages in the arteries of Sgt. Newsom's heart, which can cause sudden death," the release said. Toxicology samples were sent to a forensic lab for analysis.
The Elgin police and fire departments responded to the crash at 4:29 p.m. Sunday on the 1100 block of Dundee Avenue. Police said the preliminary investigation indicated the vehicle driven by Newsom veered south across northbound lanes and struck a utility pole.
A passenger in the vehicle was uninjured.
According to statements made to investigators at the scene, Newsom became unresponsive before the crash, the coroner's office said.
Newsom was taken to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, where he was pronounced dead.
"The Kane County coroner's office offers condolences to the family of Sgt. Newsom and to the Cook County sheriff's office for their loss and is cooperating with Elgin Police Department in the investigation," the statement said.