The coroner has released the identity of a 49-year-old man, described as having a passion for helping people, who died in a head-on crash near Wonder Lake.
An autopsy performed Monday showed Joseph M. Depner, 49, of Wonder Lake, died as a result of blunt force injuries from a vehicle crash, according to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein.
A Wonder Lake Fire Protection District ambulance came across a crash around 12:25 p.m. Friday on Barnard Mill Road north of Summit Drive in unincorporated Wonder Lake.
Wonder Lake Fire Chief Mike Weber said the two-vehicle crash resulted in major damage.
The Richmond Fire Protection District and McHenry Township Fire Protection District were called to assist.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that a preliminary investigation showed a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado High Country pickup truck was traveling northwest on Barnard Mill Road.
A 2008 Mazda 6, driven by Depner, was traveling southeast on Barnard Mill Road.
For unknown reasons, the Mazda crossed the centerline of the roadway and struck the Chevrolet in an offset head-on crash in the northwest lane of travel, the sheriff’s office said.
The Mazda exited the roadway to the south and came to rest in a wooded area. The Chevrolet remained in the roadway.
Firefighters extricated Depner from the car, Weber said.
A medical helicopter was placed on standby but was unavailable due to weather conditions.
Depner was unresponsive at the scene and pronounced dead, Weber said.
The driver of the Chevrolet, a 65-year-old Naples, Florida man, was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry where he was listed as stable.
The sheriff’s office said there was airbag deployment in both vehicles and the drivers were wearing seat belts.
Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles.
The Wonder Lake Police Department assisted with traffic control. The roadway was shut down for approximately three hours.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District covered Wonder Lake’s fire station during the incident.
An obituary for Depner said he leaves behind several family members and was a skilled mechanic in the Wonder Lake area for many years.
“He had a passion for helping people in the way of fixing cars. He was also a very talented welder. There was nothing Joe couldn’t fix,” the obituary said.
“He was a perfect example of how we should treat one another, always with love and respect. The world will be a little darker without Joe in it. He will be deeply missed,” the obituary added.
A memorial visitation is set to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Colonial Funeral Home in McHenry.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit continues to investigate the incident alongside the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.