Ghanaian dies after car plunges into romeoville retention pond

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (WLS) — A 54-year-old man died after firefighters rescued from a car that plunged into a retention pond in Romeoville. Police responded to the scene around 7:45 p.m. Thursday west of the intersection Bluff Road and Joliet Road, according to a statement from Romeoville police.

Authorities said the 2001 Mazda left the roadway near 1400 Bluff Road and ended up in the retention pond.

Police said the female driver, a 25-year-old Romeoville woman, was able to get out of the water. A witness said the woman was frantically shouting for help, and that her friend was trapped in the car.

Romeoville fire department personnel located Kojo Pewudie, 54, of Woodridge, and pulled him out of the water. A witness said it took rescue crews more than 30 minutes to reach him.

Both Pewudie and the driver were transported to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital for treatment, the statement said. Pewudie was pronounced dead a short time later.

Romeoville police are investigating the crash.

The late Kojo Pewudie was a cousin of the late Torgbe Wenya I of Chicago.