Route 12 near Wauconda remains shut down Saturday for an investigation after bystanders performed CPR on an unresponsive woman after her car collided with a semi-truck.
The Wauconda Fire District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:24 a.m. Saturday to the area of 30272 North Route 12 in unincorporated Wauconda for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Wauconda Fire District Battalion Chief John Spratt said crews arrived to find a car and a semi-truck involved in the crash.
The driver of the car, who was seriously injured, was lying in the roadway.
The semi-truck was carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline and came to a rest in the ditch, Spratt said.
James Haight, who witnessed the crash, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner the car was in the turn lane making what appeared to be a u-turn.
She drove right into the truck and trailer, Haight said.
Haight and other bystanders came to the woman’s aid by removing her from the car.
She was unconscious and not breathing and the bystanders began performing CPR until paramedics arrived.
Spratt said paramedics transported the victim to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, which is the nearest Level 1 trauma center.
The woman suffered life-threatening injuries. An update on her condition was not immediately available.
All lanes of Route 12 were shut down due to the damaged fuel tanker and the amount of debris in the roadway.
The fuel tanker did not rupture and remained upright after the crash, Spratt said.
Spratt said the fuel will need to be removed from the disabled tanker prior to the roadway being completely reopened.
The Lake County Sherriff’s Office remains on the scene late Saturday morning conducting a crash investigation.
Route 12 remains closed from North Old Rand Road to Ellis Drive.
The Wauconda Police Department and Lakemoor Police Department assisted at the scene.
The sheriff’s office said they would release further information on the crash later Saturday.