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KANKAKEE, Ill. (WGN) — Three people are dead after an SUV left the road in Kankakee and hit a tree, causing the vehicle to be engulfed in flames, according to the Kankakee County Coroner’s Office (KCCO).
Kankakee County Coroner Robert Gessner said the KCCO was called to the scene of a motor vehicle fatality in the 900 block of South Cobb Boulevard around 1:15 a.m. Sunday.
KCCO’s preliminary findings showed that a 2008 GMC Yukon left the roadway and hit a tree. After the initial impact, the SUV caught fire and was fully engulfed in flames, according to the Kankakee Fire and Police Departments. Officers on scene tried to pull the vehicle’s occupants to safety, but were unable to overcome how strong the fire had become.
All three occupants in the vehicle—45-year-old Kiyantis Riley, 48-year-old Philip Birdsong and 41-year-old Jeffrey Clark II—were from Kankakee and died from their injuries.
The incident remains under investigation by the KCCO, KCPD and Illinois State Police Troop 5.