This story was updated at 4:55 p.m., May 26, 2020, to include information from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
The man who crashed into the front of a Homewood residence early Friday morning has died from injuries sustained in the collision, according to police.
In a press release, Homewood Police Department identified the man as Joseph Thielen, a 27-year-old Homewood resident.
Around 3:30 a.m. on May 22, police said Thielen drove his 2015 black Ford Escape into the brick facade of a home on the 18000 block of Highland Avenue in Homewood. The house sustained serious damage, but no one inside was hurt.
The home with which Thielen collided sits at the T-intersection of Highland Avenue and Linden Road. There are no stop or yield signs at the intersection. The Cook County Medical Examiner said the case is pending, and toxicology reports will not be available for several weeks.
According to his online obituary, Thielen was a graduate of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Illinois State University. He is the son of Marceal and Joseph Thielen, and brother of Krista Thielen, Jennifer Thielen and Ben Benazzi.
Known as “Joey,” Thielen was a survivor of leukemia, and his obituary requests donations to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or South Suburban Council, in lieu of flowers.
Thielen will be remembered at a private memorial service for family and close friends on Friday at Tews-Ryan Funeral Home in Homewood.