E-Scooter Rider Critically Injured After Trailer Wheel Breaks Loose on Route 41 in Gurnee

A 60-year-old man riding an e-scooter along Route 41 in Gurnee was left in critical condition Monday evening after a wheel broke off a passing trailer and struck him, according to Gurnee police.

The man, from Park City, was riding his scooter northbound on the shoulder of the highway around 5:25 p.m. when the wheel detached from a trailer carrying a front loader, police said. The trailer was being towed by a Ford F-450 driven by a 45-year-old Waukegan man, who was also heading north on Route 41 at the time. Police said a second wheel came off the same trailer during the incident.

The scooter rider suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was initially listed in critical condition. The driver of the F-450 was not hurt. He stayed at the scene and cooperated with responding officers, according to police.

Gurnee police are working with the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team to piece together how the trailer lost both wheels and why one struck the scooter rider on the shoulder rather than staying within the roadway. Investigators have not said whether the trailer had been inspected recently or whether mechanical failure, improper loading, or a maintenance issue caused the wheels to separate.

Police are asking anyone who was driving in the area with a dash camera to come forward. Route 41 through Gurnee carries heavy commuter and commercial traffic, and investigators are hoping footage from passing vehicles can help establish the sequence of events, including how fast the trailer and towing truck were moving and what led to the wheel separation.

Investigators said wheel separations on trailers commonly result from loose lug nuts, worn wheel bearings, or hubs that were not properly torqued after a tire change or repair, though they have not determined the specific cause in this crash. A wheel that comes off a trailer at highway speed can travel some distance before it lands, police said.

Gurnee is a Lake County suburb about 45 miles north of Chicago. The stretch of Route 41 near the crash site is used by drivers heading to Great America and nearby retail areas.

No citations had been announced as of Monday night, and police said the investigation remains active. The Gurnee Police Department has not released the injured man's name or provided an update on his condition since he was listed as critical at the hospital.

Anyone with information or dash-cam video from the area of Route 41 around 5:25 p.m. Monday is asked to contact the Gurnee Police Department. The Major Crash Assistance Team's findings will determine whether the trailer's owner or driver faces any citations tied to equipment maintenance or towing violations.