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Coroner: 77-year-old Timothy Toczylowski of Lake Zurich killed in house explosion – NBC Chicago

The person killed in a house explosion in the northwest Chicago suburb of Lake Zurich was identified Friday evening.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office said 77-year-old Timothy Toczylowski was found dead after firefighters extinguished a fire at his home on North Overhill Road. In a news release, the coroner said an autopsy found Toczylowski’s injuries were consistent with inhalation of combustion products.

However, toxicological tests and carbon monoxide tests were still pending late Friday.

Toczylowski was identified after a forensic dentist performed an examination of the victim and compared the data with his dental records.

The fatal explosion occurred around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 23500 block of North Overhill Road, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Toczylowski was initially reported missing after the explosion; his body was later recovered from the rubble Wednesday morning.



One person was killed in a house explosion in a northwest Chicago suburb Tuesday night, authorities said. Sandra Torres reports.

The horrific moment of the explosion was captured on video from surveillance cameras in a nearby house.

In the video, two children are seen playing basketball in a driveway when flames shoot out of a house. The children run for help while neighbors leave their homes to see what happened.

“Call 911,” one person is heard shouting.

Ulises Hernandez, whose cameras captured the footage, said he was at home watching television with his wife when the explosion occurred.

“We heard a loud bang that shook the house. We panicked. We knew the kids were outside,” he told NBC Chicago. “We looked back to see if they were on the trampoline, but they weren’t there. So we immediately ran out. I heard my wife screaming and calling 911.”

Hernandez’s son Emanuel was one of the children seen playing basketball at the time of the explosion.

“A huge wave of fear, a frightening situation. I never thought I would experience anything like this,” he said.

Despite the severity of the explosion, authorities said there was no major damage to surrounding houses. The cause was still being investigated on Friday.