A 22-year-old man serving at Naval Station Great Lakes has died following a tragic single-vehicle accident Monday evening.
Waukegan Police arrived at the 1100 block of South Lewis Avenue around 6:30 p.m. to find a car off the road.
Investigators say Hayden Jones was driving southbound when his vehicle suddenly left the pavement.
The car smashed through a fence and careened into a group of trees.
During the impact, a fence pole pierced the windshield and struck Jones directly.
Emergency crews pronounced the young sailor dead at the scene.
Jones, originally from Oklahoma, was the only occupant of the vehicle.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office confirmed the cause of death as blunt force head trauma.
Friends and family are now mourning a man they described as “remarkable” and “crazy funny.”
Social media tributes have poured in, detailing childhood adventures and the “immense void” left by his passing.
Waukegan Police are continuing to investigate what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.
