A woman is in critical condition after she drove off the roadway and struck a tree while suffering a possible medical event near Antioch Sunday afternoon.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Antioch Fire Protection District responded around 3:10 p.m. Sunday to the area of Route 173 west of Wells Lane for a vehicle crash.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said sheriff’s deputies arrived and found the driver, a 76-year-old Rockford woman, unconscious with labored breathing.
The woman was transported by ambulance to an area hospital where she remains in critical condition.
The driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle, Covelli said. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
A preliminary investigation shows the woman was driving a 2000 Buick Century eastbound on Route 173.
Her vehicle left the roadway for an unknown reason and struck a tree, Covelli said.
The damage to the Buick was not substantial and it is possible the woman suffered a medical episode before crashing.
The incident remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Technical Crash Investigations Team.