Round Lake Beach man dead after driving into pond in Libertyville

LIBERTYVILLE (Sun-Times Media Wire) - A 38-year-old man died after driving into a pond Monday afternoon in north suburban Libertyville.

Emergency crews were called about 4:45 p.m. when multiple callers reported seeing a vehicle drive into the pond near Route 45 and Northwind Boulevard, according to Libertyville police.

Abner Abdiel Melgar-Barrientos, of Round Lake Beach, was pulled from the vehicle and taken to Condell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Lake County Coroner’s Office said.

Preliminary results of an autopsy Monday found Melgar-Barrientos drowned, the coroner’s office said. However, it also appeared that he suffered a medical event that caused his vehicle to go into the pond. Results of routine toxicology testing were still pending.

The crash remained under investigation Tuesday.