Crime & Safety
Darien Residents Killed After SUV Hits Tree in Westmont
The accident occurred in the 500 block of West 59th Street during the early morning hours Thursday.
A Darien couple is dead after their SUV struck a tree in Westmont and burst into flames early Thursday morning, according to the Westmont Police Department.
Richard Klima, 60, and Arlene Majkrzak, 71, were traveling eastbound in the 500 block of West 59th Street when the Jeep Grand Cherokee being driven by Klima left the roadway, struck a tree and rolled over. Westmont police responded at approximately 3:20 a.m., and the SUV was "engulfed in flames" when officers arrived, a police department release reads.
The fire was extinguished by Westmont firefighters, and the victims were pronounced dead on the scene. According to DuPage County Coroner Richard Jorgensen, Klima and Majkrzak were married and lived in the 1900 block of Holly Avenue.
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Sgt. Stephen Thompson of the Westmont Police Department said it is not yet known what caused the accident. Investigators aren't sure whether it was the crash or the fire that killed the couple.
"We don’t even have a cause of death right now," Thompson said.
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Jorgensen said autopsies will take place Friday.
Westmont police are investigating the incident along with the Dupage County Coroner’s Office, and the Felony Investigation Assistance Team (FIAT) Major Crash Reconstruction Team.
"Additional information will be released when it is appropriate to do so," the department's release reads.
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