Police say alcohol and speed are suspected factors in a rollover crash that left one ejected and two trapped with serious injuries on Route 41 in Lake Forest Tuesday morning.
The Lake Forest Police Department and Lake Forest Fire Department responded around 1:46 a.m. Tuesday to the area of Route 41 and Westmoreland Road for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Fire crews arrived to find a single-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of Route 41 north of Deerpath Road across from Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital.
Firefighters found a car that had driven off Route 41 onto the east side of the roadway and crashed into the trees and rolled over.
A preliminary investigation shows a silver Mazda 3 sedan was traveling northbound on Route 41 at a high rate of speed, authorities said.
After crossing Deerpath Road, the driver of the Mazda veered off the roadway to the right for an unknown reason, causing the vehicle to roll over at least once.
Authorities said two people were entrapped in the Mazda and one person was ejected upon impact.
Multiple fire departments from throughout the area were called to assist in extrication efforts and transporting the victims to the hospital.
All three victims involved were transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with significant injuries.
Alcohol and excessive speed are suspected to be involved in the crash, authorities said.
Police officials said Lake Forest police and members of the Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) are investigating the single-vehicle rollover crash.
Northbound Route 41 was completely shut down at Route 60.
“Expect major delays while our investigators process the scene. Please use Waukegan Road or I-94 as a northbound alternative,” the police department said.
Railroad traffic was also shut down adjacent to the crash due to the proximity of the incident.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Lake Forest Police Department and MCAT.