The coroner has released the identity of a Crystal Lake man who died in a crash involving his motorcycle and two other vehicles on Route 47 between Hebron and Woodstock.
An autopsy performed showed Benjamin Olson, 44, of Crystal Lake, died as a result of blunt force injuries from a vehicle crash, according to McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District responded around 5:23 p.m. Wednesday to the 5800 block of Route 47 in unincorporated Woodstock for a vehicle crash with injuries.
The McHenry County Conservation District Police and McHenry County Emergency Management Agency also responded to the call.
A 911 caller reported a crash involving a motorcycle and a landscaping truck.
A male victim, later identified as Olson, was reported to be down in the roadway and was unconscious and not breathing.
A medical helicopter and Mercyhealth MD-1, a mobile response physician, were requested to respond to the incident.
Emergency crews arrived and confirmed Olson was down in the roadway on Route 47 between Thayer Road and Allendale Road, according to fire department radio traffic.
The sheriff’s office said Thursday that a preliminary investigation shows a 2009 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, driven by Olson, was traveling southbound on Route 47.
A 2016 Ford Explorer was traveling northbound on Route 47 in the same area when the Harley-Davidson crossed over the center line, striking the Ford in the northbound lane.
The Harley-Davidson then struck a trailer that was being pulled by a 2018 Chevrolet pickup truck, sheriff’s officials said.
Olson was ejected from the motorcycle and pronounced dead at the scene.
He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
A 42-year-old Hebron man, who was the driver of the Ford, was uninjured and did not require transport to the hospital.
A 32-year-old Hebron man and a 34-year-old man, who was a passenger in the Ford, were also uninjured and not transported to the hospital.
Sheriff’s officials said alcohol is believed to be a factor in the crash.
Sheriff’s deputies shut down both directions of Route 47 between Thayer Road and Allendale Road for several hours during the investigation.
The sheriff’s office reported around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday that the roadway had been reopened.
The investigation remains ongoing by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.