H-F Alum Who Beat Cancer Dies After Crash Into Home In Homewood

HOMEWOOD, IL — A 27-year-old man who crashed a car into a home in Homewood on May 22 has died. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed the death of Joseph Thielen, 27, of Homewood. Thielen was the driver of a 2015 black Ford Escape when it crashed into a home in the 18000 block of Highland Avenue around 3:25 a.m.

Thielen was the only person in the car at the time of the crash and no one inside the home suffered any injuries, police have said. He was pronounced dead on May 24 at 12:56 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash. The results of toxicology reports were still pending as of Wednesday morning.

Thielen was a Homewood-Flossmoor High School alum who later earned a degree in chemistry from Illinois State University, according to his obituary posted by the Tews-Ryan Funeral Home in Homewood. He was diagnosed with leukemia while in college.

The home that was crashed into is at a T-intersection of Highland Avenue and Linden Road, an intersection that has no stop or yield signs according to a Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle report.