Shortly before 2 a.m., Illinois State Police responded to a crash involving a gray 2010 BMW motorcycle, a green Mercedes sedan, a gray Toyota and a blue Toyota, according to a release.
A preliminary investigation revealed the BMW motorcycle was traveling with a group of motorcycles at a high rate of speed on westbound Interstate 290 at Mannheim. The BMW motorcycle struck a concrete median, and the driver and his passenger were thrown into the westbound lanes, police said.
The motorcycle then struck a light pole, which fell into the eastbound lanes of I-290. The Mercedes and two Toyotas on eastbound I-290 then struck the light pole.
Police said Matthew P.Summers, 41, of Crystal Lake and his passenger, Miranda A. Valles, 21, of Downers Grove, were pronounced dead. They were both on the motorcycle that crashed into the median, police said.
All drivers and passengers were wearing seat belts, police said. The cause of the crash was still under investigation.
East and westbound lanes of the expressway were closed for several hours after the accident.