Online campaign for Round Lake Beach teen who died in crash raises $25,000

Those who knew the Round Lake Beach teen who died after a Sunday motorcycle crash near Gurnee have raised more than $25,000 through an online fundraiser to support his family.

Daniel McPherson, 19, lost control of his motorcycle on Rollins Road west of Route 45, in Avon Township, according to the Lake County sheriff's office.

His older sister Karina McPherson set up a campaign on GoFundMe to help pay for memorial expenses.

"Our hearts will forever be torn from this tragic loss," Karina McPherson wrote.

According to police, McPherson was heading east on Rollins Road on a 2006 Yamaha when he changed lanes, drove slightly onto the gravel shoulder and then lost control, police said. Both he and the motorcycle were found in a ditch.

Deputies tried lifesaving measures but couldn't revive the teen, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Karina McPherson wrote on the campaign website that some women witnessed the crash and rushed to his aid.

"Thank you for holding him til he took his last breath when we weren't able to," Karina McPherson wrote. "Words cannot express how incredibly grateful we are to you."

She wrote on the campaign website that her brother was always a positive force in their family.

"(He was) the one who always lived and spoke his truth. The one that was never afraid to take risks, take on new challenges, and simply own it. The only one of us that knew how to live every single day as if it was his last," Karina McPherson wrote.

As of Wednesday evening, 541 donors had raised $25,283 for the campaign.