Charles Halliday, of Evanston, was driving an Audi SUV that collided with a Chicago Tribune box truck in the 1100 block of Waukegan Road around 12:19 a.m., police said. Officers and members of the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District arrived to find both vehicles heavily damaged in the roadway.

Halliday was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy completed by the Lake County Coroner's Office found that he died from blunt force injuries sustained in the crash, according to preliminary results.

Evanston Township High School said Halliday was a member of the class of 2027 and part of the school's theater community. In a letter to students and families, school officials described the loss as one that will be widely felt.

"The time, talent, and care he gave to this community were meaningful to so many, and his presence made a difference in ways that will always be remembered," the letter said. "His loss will be deeply felt by the many students, staff members, and others whose lives he touched."

The school said counselors and other student support staff will be available to help students process the death, and encouraged families to check in with their children and make room for conversations about the loss.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Waukegan Road is a major north-south arterial through Deerfield and neighboring suburbs, and the stretch where the collision occurred is a heavily traveled corridor at all hours.

For a school community still in the middle of the academic year, the death of a student is a wrenching event, and the district's decision to make counselors available reflects how broadly the loss is being felt among classmates, teachers and staff. Families seeking support can contact the school's student services office.