A Rochelle woman is dead following a two-vehicle accident on Interstate 88 near Ashton on Monday morning, Wednesday press releases from the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office and Illinois State Police said.

On the morning of Oct. 20 at 9:22 a.m., the Illinois State Police and the Rochelle Fire Department responded to Interstate 88 westbound at milepost 71 in Lee County. Four individuals were transferred to area hospitals after the crash. Araceli Zepeda, a 27-year-old female Rochelle resident, was pronounced deceased Monday night due to injuries suffered in the accident.

An ISP press release said a Ford Transit Connect was driving westbound on Interstate 88 when a Mazda CX-7 approached it from behind and struck the rear end of it at a high rate of speed. The Mazda left the roadway to the right and overturned multiple times. Three occupants of the Mazda, including Zepeda, who was a passenger, were ejected from the vehicle and transported to regional hospitals with injuries. The driver of the Ford Transit, a 41-year-old male from East Dundee, was transported to an area hospital with injuries.

The driver of the Mazda was a 21-year-old female from Chicago. The passenger in the Mazda that was not Zepeda was an 18-year-old female from Rochelle. ISP did not release information on the extent or status of their injuries, or the status of the Ford’s driver.

Zepeda was unresponsive when found by first responders. Treatment efforts were initiated, and she was airlifted to a Winnebago County hospital by OSF Life Flight. While at the hospital, Zepeda underwent treatment for her injuries. Despite all life-saving measures, she was pronounced dead later that evening at 7:59 p.m., a Winnebago County Coroner’s Office press release said.

An autopsy has been completed, and the cause of death is pending further studies. The crash remains under investigation by the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office and the ISP. No traffic charges were listed in the ISP press release.