Philanthropist and business executive, James Crown, known for his efforts to combat crime in Chicago, died at 70 after a car crash on a Colorodo race track.
The Pitkin County Coroner’s Office said Crown was involved in a single-vehicle accident at the Aspen Motorsports Park in Woody Creek, Colorado on Sunday. His family was celebrating his 70th birthday at the park when the crash happened.
Crown’s father, Lester Crown, said his son “was driving a race car, and it hit a wall going around a curve,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Crown had a significant impact on Chicago. Recently, he began an effort to tackle gun violence in the city. He helped lead a public safety task force established by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. During this time, he addressed matters of public safety and came up with ideas for community development.
His crime reduction strategies focused on help from local business leaders. He put his efforts in persuading them to invest in the city and give job opportunities to those in lower-income neighborhoods. Crown also aimed to fund violence intervention programs, hoping the reform efforts would bring down the city’s murder and crime rates.
James Crown is survived by his parents, Lester and Renee, his wife Paula, his four children, and two grandchildren.
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