LAKE COUNTY (WGN) — The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is mourning the loss of one of its own after a hit-and-run crash early Saturday morning in Schererville.
According to officials, an off-duty correctional officer was involved in a crash at Route 30 and Austin Avenue when another vehicle struck his car.
The officer was airlifted to a Chicago hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., the officer had worked at the Lake County Jail for nearly nine years.
Authorities say the driver of the other vehicle fled the scene on foot. A search for that individual is ingoing, and the Schererville Police Department is leading the investigation.
No additional details are being released until the officer’s family has been notified.
“Our hearts go out to the officer’s family, friends, and colleagues, and to everyone whose lives were touched by this dedicated public servant,” Martinez Jr. said in a statement. “We ask the community to keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
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