Man dies after crashing stolen truck in Oak Forest

A 29-year-old man died early Sunday after crashing a stolen truck into a pole in south suburban Oak Forest.

Derrick D. Shenalt was driving a box truck on Cicero Avenue just south of 167th Street about 4:15 a.m. when he lost control and struck a pole holding up a billboard, according to Oak Forest police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

When patrol officers arrived at the scene, they found no signs of life, police said. Shenalt, a Harvey resident, was dead at the scene, authorities said.

The truck Shenalt was driving was registered to a residence in Oak Forest, and when officers went to the home, the owner had not realized the truck had been stolen, police said.

An autopsy found Shenalt suffered blunt force injuries from the pickup truck striking a fixed object, and his death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The South Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating the cause of the crash.