Woman dies after crash with Waukegan police SUV Thursday morning

A woman driving a vehicle Waukegan police believe was stolen died Thursday morning after a crash with a police SUV near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Butrick Street, officials said.

The woman, whom police did not identify but described as middle-aged, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, Waukegan Deputy Chief Joe Florip said Thursday afternoon. Florip said investigators believe the woman was not wearing a seat belt.

The police officer who was driving the SUV was treated at a hospital and has been released, Florip said.

The crash happened around 5 a.m. when the woman was driving east on Grand Avenue and the unidentified Waukegan police officer was driving west, Florip said.

Investigators with the Lake County Major Crash Unit believe the woman, who was driving a compact silver 2012 Chevrolet Cobalt, crossed the centerline and struck the rear driver's side of the police SUV, Florip said.

The woman's car then struck the Grand Tequila Bar and Grill at 1334 Grand Ave., breaching the bar's brick wall and causing substantial damage, Florip said.

He said he didn't know if city engineers had assessed the damage to the bar or how long it would be out of business.

Investigators said the vehicle the woman was driving had been reported stolen Tuesday from the 400 block of Franklin Street in Waukegan.

An autopsy has been scheduled for later this week by the Lake County coroner's office.