The crash happened around 8 a.m. at Route 60 and Bacon Road in Round Lake Beach.
Officers found several people trapped in the vehicles, including one driver who was unresponsive.
They said a driver in a Dodge Durango crossed into the wrong lane and hit a Toyota Camry. A driver in a Volkswagen Jetta then hit the Durango.
The Camry's driver, a 47-year-old man, has died. His name has not been released.
The two other drivers were hospitalized.
The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team is investigating.
Further information was not immediately available.