82-year-old woman killed in McCook crash

An 82-year-old woman was killed in a crash over New Year’s weekend in west suburban McCook.

Maria M. Monaco was driving east on 55th Street near Joliet Road when the SUV left the road and struck the pole of a metal gate just before midnight Saturday, according to McCook police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Monaco, of the 8200 block of 44th Place in Lyons, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:19 a.m. Sunday, authorities said.

An autopsy Sunday found she died of multiple injuries when an SUV struck a fixed object, and her death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner’s office.

McCook Police Chief Mario DePasquale said the cause of the crash is unknown and remains under investigation.