One person was found dead in a car after the vehicle burst into flames in the Walmart parking lot in Crystal Lake on Thursday morning.
The Crystal Lake Police Department and Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded to a report of a vehicle fire at Walmart, 1205 Route 31, around 5:38 a.m. Thursday.
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Richard Neumann said several witnesses reported the vehicle was occupied.
Bystanders tried to free the person from the car.
Due to the intensity of the fire, the attempts were unsuccessful, said Neumann.
When firefighters arrived, they reported that the vehicle on the south side of the parking lot was fully engulfed in flames.
Neumann said the person was found in the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene after the fire was extinguished.
Paramedics treated a passerby on site. He refused to be taken to the hospital.
Fire investigators, police detectives and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office arrived on scene to begin the investigation.
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office was also notified and responded. They have not yet released any information on the case.
Neumann said the incident remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Crystal Lake Fire Department and the Crystal Lake Police Department.
Anyone with information related to the investigation is asked to contact Crystal Lake Police at 815-356-3620.
You can also submit anonymous tips to the Crystal Lake Police Department by texting the word CLPDTIP along with the tip information to 847411.