Motorcyclist who died in Avon Township identified

AVON TOWNSHIP – A 19-year-old Round Lake Beach man who died Sept. 5 when his motorcycle went into a ditch in Avon Township has been identified.

About 5:30 p.m. Sept. 5, Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to a motorcycle crash with injuries on Rollins Road, west of Route 45, in Avon Township.

Sheriff’s deputies arrived and found a 2006 Yamaha motorcycle in the ditch line south of the roadway. Deputies located the rider of the motorcycle, who was unconscious and not breathing.

Sheriff’s deputies attempted lifesaving measures until paramedics arrived, but the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a news release.

The motorcyclist has been identified as Daniel McPherson, 19, of Round Lake Beach. On Sept. 8, an autopsy was conducted at the Lake County Coroner’s Office. Preliminary autopsy results indicate that McPherson died from blunt force injuries as a result of the incident.

Preliminary investigation shows the driver of the motorcycle was traveling east on Rollins Road, west of Route 45. The driver was in the inside lane and made a lane change to the outside lane, but drove slightly off the roadway onto the gravel shoulder. This caused the driver to lose control and crash into the ditch line. The driver was thrown from the motorcycle.

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit and Lake County Coroner’s Office.