A four-car crash on Aurora’s far East Side last Wednesday left one person dead and two others injured, officials announced on Friday.
At around 8:40 p.m., a gray Dodge Challenger lost control while turning at the intersection of East New York Street and North Eola Road, hit three other cars and rolled over, according to a news release from the Aurora Police Department. Officials said in the release that Gerardo Cuatzo, 44, of Portland Lane in Aurora, suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash and later succumbed to those injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital.
Ailisa Gutierrez, 19, of Aurora, has been charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident in connection with the crash, the release said.
According to police, a preliminary investigation indicates that the Dodge was heading westbound on East New York Street approaching North Eola Road. The Dodge then changed lanes and attempted to turn onto North Eola Road, but it lost control and struck three vehicles in the southbound lanes of North Eola Road, officials said.
Those three vehicles were a silver Toyota Camry, a white Nissan Rogue and a red Honda Accord, the release said. Cuatzo, who died from his injuries, was driving the Toyota, officials said.
The Aurora Fire Department responded to take the three people injured in the crash to nearby hospitals, the Aurora Police Department’s Traffic Division responded to investigate the incident and Aurora’s Emergency Management Agency responded to assist with traffic control and lighting the scene, according to the release.
The intersection of East New York Street and North Eola Road was closed for several hours as traffic investigators reconstructed the crash, the release said.
Officials are asking anyone with information about the crash to call the Aurora Police Department’s Traffic Division at 630-256-5330 or email tips@aurora.il.us
