Lombard Man, 72, Killed In Head-On Crash In Joliet

JOLIET, IL — A 72-year-old Lombard man died Wednesday evening after a four-car crash on West Jefferson Street near the Joliet Municipal Airport.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, officers responded to West Jefferson Street and Airport Drive for a multi-vehicle traffic crash with injuries just after 6:30 p.m.

The driver was identified as Peter J. Graff, according to the Will County Coroner's Office.

The preliminary investigation suggests that a Ford Ranger truck driven by Graff was heading west on West Jefferson when it hit the rear passenger side of a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 44-year-old woman from Shorewood. Police say the woman was also driving west on West Jefferson Street in the inside lane.

Graff's Ford truck also struck the rear driver's side of a Tesla 3 driven by a 38-year-old Naperville man, who was also heading west on West Jefferson Street in the curb lane, according to police.

After hitting two cars, Graff's truck then drove between the Jeep and Tesla and swerved into oncoming eastbound traffic, striking an eastbound Pontiac Torrent driven by a 22-year-old Rockdale man head-on, English said.

Graff was taken by Joliet paramedics to Ascension St Joseph Medical Center, where he died.

No other injuries were reported. The roadway was closed for several hours as Joliet police officers reconstructed the crash.

The Will County Coroner’s Office is working to determine the victim's identity and cause of death.

Anyone with video footage or information regarding this crash, which is still under investigation, is encouraged to contact the Joliet Police Traffic Unit at (815) 724-3193.

Patch Editor John Ferak contributed to this article.