CHICAGO (AP) — Authorities in suburban Chicago are investigating the possibility that a man suspected in the beating death of his girlfriend intentionally swerved into oncoming traffic near Rockton, killing himself and the driver of another vehicle.

Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Chris Covelli says it was a “strong theory” of investigators that the man killed his girlfriend with a blunt object in his home in the Lake County community of Lindenhurst and then killed himself in Monday’s head-on crash at Bates Road and Freeport Road near Rockton on Valentine’s Day.

According to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department, a black Dodge Ram and a grey Ford Focus collided at the intersection around 8:59 a.m.

The drivers of each vehicle were killed at the scene, officials said.

Covelli says the man was the only suspect in the slaying of 25-year-old Kelly Hedmark, of Algonquin.

Her body was found by police Tuesday inside the home in Lindenhurst after her family learned of the boyfriend’s crash and reported her missing.

The family of Ronald Reed, 53, of Durand, identified him as the other driver killed in the crash. Reed, an Army veteran of Desert Storm, worked at the Belvidere Chrysler assembly plant for over 10 years and was a member of the Zoning Board for the Village of Durand.