On Monday, June 29th, updated accident reports disclosed the identity of the man who died in an accident on Interstate 55 in the Joliet area of Illinois. The Will County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Joseph P. McGrath, a 22-year-old resident of Joliet.
The coroner said that the victim died from the injuries sustained at the scene of the accident. The Illinois State Police placed McGrath on a 2008 Suzuki GSX-R600 motorcycle at about 10:45 p.m. He was southbound in the center lane of I-55 near Veterans Parkway.
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At the same time, a Bloomington man, identified as Micha J. McClelland, 38, of Bloomington, drove a 2013 silver Honda Odyssey on the same roadway. The ISP said that the front of the victim’s motorcycle struck the rear end of the Honda, ejecting McGrath from the bike, which rested in the center lane and caught fire.
McClelland was not injured, and from 10:53 p.m., the police closed all southbound lanes of the interstate while they conducted their preliminary investigation and cleared the scene. They diverted traffic to Route 53 and reopened the I-55 at about 12:07 a.m. The investigation is ongoing.
Auto-motorcycle collisions are not uncommon in Illinois and the United States. When a two-wheeled and four-wheeled drive collides, the former’s rider is usually the fatal victim due to the open design of the bike. Thus, motorcyclists must protect themselves by avoiding illegal maneuvers, taking turns quickly, speeding and riding recklessly, and they must wear a helmet.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.