A 38-year-old man who had to be airlifted to the hospital after crashing his car into a tree in Spring Grove on Tuesday was charged with driving under the influence.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said that on Tuesday at 2:19 p.m., a 2001 Jeep Cherokee SUV was traveling northbound on State Park Road coming around the curve onto westbound Main Street Road when it veered off the roadway for an unknown reason and struck a tree.
The driver of the Jeep, Joshua Fauser, 38, of Spring Grove, was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extricated by firefighters. He was transported by a Flight for Life medical helicopter to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where authorities said he was listed in critical condition as of Wednesday.
Sheriff’s officials said that alcohol and controlled substances were contributing factors in the crash. Fauser was not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the crash and there were no other occupants in the vehicle.
Fauser was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 14.
The Spring Grove Police Department, Fox Lake Fire Department, Spring Grove Fire Department, and Flight for Life also responded to the scene. The crash is under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Traffic Crash Investigation Unit.