A 25-year-old man driving at a high rate of speed in the wrong lane of traffic was killed after hitting another car head-on near Harvard Thursday evening, the sheriff’s office said.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Harvard Police Department Harvard Fire Protection District and Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District responded around 10:02 p.m. Thursday to the area of Route 173 and Altenburg Road in unincorporated Harvard.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the crash involved two vehicles — a pickup truck and a sedan.
A preliminary investigation shows a maroon 2009 Honda Civic was traveling westbound on Route 173 west of Altenburg Road.
The Honda, driven by a 25-year-old Harvard man, was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane of traffic for unknown reasons, the sheriff’s office said.
A blue 2005 Nissan Frontier was traveling eastbound in the eastbound lane of traffic.
The Honda struck the Nissan at a high rate of speed in the 19400 block of Route 173.
The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
The driver of the Nissan suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to Javon Bea Hospital Riverside in Rockford.
Route 173 between Altenburg Road and Harvard Hills Road was closed for approximately seven hours during the crash investigation.
An autopsy is in the process of being scheduled on the victim.
The incident remains under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Investigation Unit and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.