2 Women Killed In Accident Near Crete

CRETE TOWNSHIP (STMW) -- Two young women were killed in a Sunday afternoon crash in an unincorporated area near south suburban Crete, police said.

A 23-year-old University Park man was driving on East Bemes Road and crashed into a tree at 3059 E. Bemes Rd. about 12:05 p.m., Will County Sheriff's police spokesman Ken Kaupas said.

Witnesses told police the eastbound vehicle left the road and struck a tree on the passenger's side after cresting a hill, Kaupas said.

A 21-year-old woman was ejected and pronounced dead on the scene. Another 21-year-old woman was extricated from the vehicle and taken to St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Dyer, Ind., where she was pronounced dead, Kaupas said.

The identities of the women are not being released pending family notification, but one woman was from Park Forest and another from Cedar Lake, Ind.

The motorist was taken to St. James Hospital and Health Center in Olympia Fields, Kaupas said.

Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the crash, and witnesses told police the vehicle did not appear to be traveling at an excessive rate of speed, Kaupas said. Police are investigating if ice or snow were a contributing factor.

Bemes Road was closed during the investigation, but had been reopened as of 5 p.m.

Will County Sheriff's police and the Will County Coroner's office are investigating.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)