Mike Linderman, longtime McHenry business owner and community donor, died Wednesday in Lake County car crash

Mike Linderman, who owned All Pro Plumbing in McHenry and sometimes donated his time and money to community causes, died Wednesday morning in a three-vehicle crash in Wauconda Township.

He was identified as the victim of Wednesday’s crash by McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett, who was friends with Linderman, as well as by the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce.

“For both of us, we felt it was very important to give back to the community, support the community and support the McHenry police,” said Linderman’s widow, Michelle Linderman. “I appreciate all the community that has come together for me and my family. They’ve pulled together to help us any way they can.”

She said the couple in the past several years donated 20 turkeys to the McHenry Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4600 near the All Pro Plumbing office and also agreed to pay to ship more than 100 soldier care packages overseas for the veterans organization.

Jett wrote on social media before midnight Wednesday about how Linderman’s contributions to the community will help the man to be remembered.

“An example of Mike’s caring heart and true character showed when I was looking to raise funds for new ballistic helmets for our McHenry police officers,” Jett said. “When I was talking to Mike about my plan to donate 50% and looking for another company to donate the other 50%, without hesitation Mike said, ‘I’m in!’”

Jett added: “This is just one of many examples of who Mike was and the impact he’s had on McHenry. I will definitely miss our arguments that always made us challenge each other in so many ways.

Linderman, who was 59, was driving a RamMaster Pro van at the time of the crash. A preliminary investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office occurred after a Chevrolet Trax driven by a 24-year-old Ingleside man heading south on Wilson Road reportedly did not stop at a stop sign and pulled in front of the dump truck, which was traveling west on Route 60.

After the dump truck collided with the Chevrolet, it struck Linderman’s van, which was heading east.

Linderman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Three other people involved in the crash — the 24-year-old Ingleside man, the 50-year old Berwyn man who drove the dump truck, and a 31-year-old Kenosha, Wisconsin man who was a passenger in Linderman’s van — suffered injuries that were not life-threatening and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Linderman is survived by his wife, Michelle Linderman; as well as two adult children, she said.

“McHenry lost a good man and a great community supporter yesterday in a tragic accident. Our heartfelt sympathies are with Michelle, his kids and the All Pro Plumbing, Inc. family. Rest in Peace, Mike Linderman. We will miss you,” the McHenry Chamber of Commerce wrote on Facebook.

Linderman was a building trades journeyman for the Chicago-based Plumbers Local UA 130 union for 25 years until August, 2006, according to a LinkedIn profile, and also was a service technician for Althoff Industries in Crystal Lake from June 2002 to August 2006. He was the owner of All Pro Plumbing for past 11 years, his wife said.

The crash still is under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit. It will take weeks for investigators to piece together the factors leading to the crash and to receive subpoenaed documents, said Lake County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chris Covelli, the agency’s spokesman.

Neither alcohol nor drugs appear to be factors in the crash at this point, but police are awaiting medical records to confirm that belief, Covelli said.

Speeding also does not appear to be a factor, he said, but investigators are working to determine the estimated speed of all vehicles involved.

Covelli said it appears all the men involved in the crash were wearing seatbelts.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office in a news release Thursday said preliminary autopsy results indicate Linderman died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries caused in the crash. The investigation into the death remains ongoing, according to the release.