Officials say a driver fled from police in Crystal Lake before officers in Woodstock witnessed his minivan go airborne and roll over, leaving him critically injured, in Woodstock over the weekend.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded around 12:25 a.m. Saturday to the area of Route 47 and East South Street for a report of a vehicle crash with entrapment.
Firefighters and police officers located the crash west of the intersection near Washburn Street and Brown Street.
Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said crews arrived within minutes and discovered a vehicle resting on its roof in a grassy field approximately 100 feet off the roadway.
It appeared the vehicle had gone airborne before coming to rest, Vucha said.
The male driver was found unconscious and trapped inside the heavily damaged vehicle.
Firefighters worked to stabilize the vehicle and gain access to the victim.
They extricated him from the Honda minivan within 10 minutes. No other vehicles were reported to be involved.
A medical helicopter was initially requested but was unable to fly due to weather conditions, Vucha said.
Vucha said the driver was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital with critical injuries.
Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black said that the vehicle involved had earlier fled from officers in Crystal Lake after they tried stopping the car for a traffic violation.
Crystal Lake police did not engage in a pursuit and ended the attempt to stop the vehicle before it left Crystal Lake, Black said.
Woodstock Deputy Police Chief Ray Lanz said officers were at the scene of an unrelated call when they observed the dark-colored Honda minivan drive past them at a very high rate of speed.
An officer attempted to locate the vehicle, which had traveled out of sight.
A concerned citizen flagged down the officer and told him that the minivan nearly struck his vehicle, Lanz said.
The officer responded to the last known location and was traveling on East Lake Street when the minivan passed him again at a high rate of speed.
Lanz said the officer turned around and turned onto Brown Street from Lake Street where he observed the minivan go airborne and crash at the T-intersection at Brown Street and Washburn Street.
No citations or charges have been filed as the investigation remains ongoing, Lanz said, adding that he believes the driver remains alive in the hospital.
Crystal Lake police responded to the crash scene after being notified by the Woodstock Police Department.