Illinois woman killed in St. John crash

• Reprints

Updated: February 15, 2012 8:07AM

Thursday’s snow storm appears to have caused one fatality, after a Wheaton, Ill., woman died in a St. John vehicle crash that police say was weather-related.

Mary McCann, 74, was pronounced dead at 6:33 p.m. at Franciscan St. Anthony Health in Crown Point, according to a release from the Lake County Coroner’s office.

McCann was involved in an two-car accident that took place around 3:16 p.m. in the 10200 block of U.S. 41, St. John Police Chief Fred Frego said. She died from blunt force injuries, according to the release.

Frego said McCann and her husband, who was driving, were headed north when the car lost control and slid into oncoming southbound traffic, where another car struck them. Both McCann’s husband and the driver of the other vehicle were taken to the hospital, Frego said, although he didn’t think their injuries were life-threatening.

Frego said that it was snowing at the time in the middle of a winter storm warning for Lake County, caused the accident.

“The weather was horrible at the time,” he said. “We had numerous minor accidents going on at that time, (cars) sliding into ditches.”

Frego said he wasn’t sure but that he doubted speed played a factor because of the road conditions and the general rate of traffic. He said it appeared the car was driving far lower than the speed limit at the time.