The sheriff says a driver blew a stop sign and caused a crash that left a man heavily trapped with critical injuries, requiring him to be flown to the hospital, near Marengo Tuesday.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts and Union Fire Protection District responded around 7:59 a.m. Tuesday to the intersection of North Union Road and Route 176 in Seneca Township, located east of Marengo and north of Union, for a vehicle crash.
First arriving emergency crews found a two-vehicle crash with heavy damage, according to Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.
Both vehicles, a 2024 Lexus LX600 and a 2021 GMC pickup truck, had come to rest off the roadway in the northwest ditch, according to the sheriff’s office.
The driver of the GMC, a 57-year-old Woodstock man, was found unconscious and heavily entrapped in his vehicle.
Vucha said a second ambulance and a heavy rescue squad were requested to assist with the prolonged extrication efforts.
A LifeNet medical helicopter was called to the scene due to the severity of the driver’s injuries and landed in a nearby field.
The flight crew joined ground personnel during the extrication, providing advanced medical care and working alongside firefighters to stabilize the man while he remained trapped, Vucha said.
The 57-year-old driver was successfully removed from the vehicle in approximately 60 minutes and transferred to the awaiting helicopter.
Vucha said the driver at the time of transport was believed to have suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for additional treatment.
The sheriff’s office said Thursday he is listed in serious but stable condition at the hospital.
The 69-year-old driver of the Lexus was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital with moderate injuries.
Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles.
The sheriff’s office said a preliminary investigation shows the Lexus was traveling northbound on North Union Road.
The GMC was traveling westbound on Route 176 and the Lexus failed to stop for the stop sign, sheriff’s officials said.
The Lexus entered the intersection, causing the two vehicles to collide.
“Illinois Route 176 is not a controlled intersection at this location and traffic on Union Road is controlled by clearly posted stop signs,” the sheriff’s office said.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District assisted with an unrelated medical call in the district during the incident, while the Huntley Fire Protection District provided fire station coverage.
Investigators shut down the intersection for several hours and reopened it Tuesday afternoon.
The investigation is ongoing by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit.