Driver’s fatal medical emergency causes solo crash on Lake Shore Drive

Southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive were closed from the Hollywood to Belmont exits for several hours Thursday after an 80-year-old man suffered a fatal medical emergency and crashed into a guardrail.

William Kurt Kuker was driving about 2:20 p.m. in the 3200 block of North Lake Shore Drive when his vehicle hit a guardrail, spun out and blocked southbound traffic, according to Chicago police and fire officials and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Kuker, who lived in South Barrington, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:21 p.m., the medical examiner’s office said. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause and manner of his death.

All lanes were open again by 6:30 p.m., police said.