A 42-year-old man has died in the hospital after he and a second man, who was seriously injured, were both ejected during a double motorcycle crash near McHenry.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, McHenry Police Department and McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 6:24 p.m. Friday to the area of Chapel Hill Road south of Route 120 in unincorporated McHenry for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Sheriff’s officials said a preliminary investigation showed that a 2008 Harley Davidson Dyna and a 2006 Harley Davidson Softail were traveling northbound on Chapel Hill Road.
The motorcycles were driven by a 42-year-old McHenry man and a 39-year-old Wonder Lake man.
They were riding in a staggered formation with the Harley Davidson Dyna to the front left of the Harley Davidson Softail, the sheriff’s office said.
The motorcycles exited the roadway to the right and traveled into the ditch where both drivers were ejected.
The motorcycles did not make contact with each other during the crash.
A medical helicopter was requested but was unavailable to fly due to the incoming weather at the time.
Sheriff’s officials said the driver of the Harley Davidson Dyna was transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry and later transferred to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
He was listed in critical condition and the hospital notified the Lake County Coroner’s Office around 12:11 a.m. Sunday that he had died from his injuries, according to Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek.
Banek identified the man on Wednesday as Steven Mapson, 42, of McHenry. His death was consistent with blunt force injuries from the crash, Banek added.
The driver of the Harley Davidson Softail was transported to Northwestern Medicine Hospital and listed in serious but stable condition.
The drivers were not wearing helmets and alcohol and speed are believed to be factors in the crash, the sheriff’s office said.
Chapel Hill Road between Route 120 and North River Road was shut down for several hours into the early morning hours on Saturday.
The investigation remains ongoing by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit.