The sheriff’s office has released new details in the two separate crashes that occurred an hour apart outside of Harvard and Woodstock that left two men dead Tuesday morning.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 5:52 a.m. Tuesday to the area of Kishwaukee Valley Road and South Hughes Road in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a vehicle crash with entrapment.
Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said fire crews arrived within minutes and located a two-vehicle crash.
The crash resulted in heavy damage and involved a commercial truck and a pickup truck.
The adult male driver of the pickup truck was still inside his vehicle and unresponsive.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene due to his injuries, despite “immediate efforts of paramedics,” Vucha said.
A medical helicopter was initially requested but was canceled.
The driver of the commercial truck was evaluated by paramedics and declined medical treatment.
The sheriff’s office said a preliminary investigation showed a 2011 Dodge Ram was traveling eastbound on Kishwaukee Valley Road west of Hughes Road when it crossed the centerline for unknown reasons.
The Dodge was then struck by a 2023 Mack truck, which was traveling westbound, before coming to rest in the ditch.
The sheriff’s office said the driver of the Dodge was a 50-year-old Belvidere man.
Both drivers, who were wearing their seat belts, were the sole occupants of their vehicles.
Vucha said the impact caused a rupture to one of the commercial truck’s saddle tanks, resulting in a diesel fuel spill onto the pavement.
A small hazardous materials response was initiated.
Vucha said firefighters worked to contain the spill using absorbent materials to prevent the fuel from reaching the adjacent ditch.
Kishwaukee Valley Road was shut down in both directions for several hours while fire crews operated at the scene and the sheriff’s office conducted an investigation.
“Our thanks go to their deputies and investigators, who have worked closely alongside our personnel through several recent challenging incidents. Their continued partnership and dedication to public safety are sincerely appreciated,” Vucha said.
An hour later, the Harvard Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 6:57 a.m. to the 19700 block of Hebron Road in unincorporated Harvard for another fatal crash.
Harvard Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said a 911 call was received for a reported single-vehicle rollover crash with a trapped occupant.
Firefighters arrived and located a small pickup truck on its roof in a field.
The adult male driver was believed to be trapped inside, prompting the dispatch of additional medical resources, including Mercyhealth MD-1 and a medical helicopter.
Paramedics assessed the victim and determined he was deceased due to his injuries, Vucha said.
All additional responding resources were canceled and fire crews remained on the scene to assist with operations.
The sheriff’s office said a preliminary investigation shows the 1997 GMC Sierra pickup truck was traveling eastbound on Hebron Road east of Route 14 when it left the roadway for unknown reasons.
The GMC struck a utility pole and rolled over, coming to rest on its roof.
The driver, a 35-year-old Harvard man, was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
The McHenry County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene to take possession of the victim, whose identity has not been released yet.
Both crashes remain under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit and the McHenry County Coroner’s Office.
Vucha said the two fatal crashes were among four serious crashes in the western part of McHenry County that occurred in the span of 24 hours.
An 11-year-old child was left dead and a 29-year-old man was seriously injured after a T-bone crash in the area of Kishwaukee Valley Road and Deerpass Road in unincorporated Marengo around 6:40 p.m. Monday.
A crash involving a Jeep and a semi-truck near Route 14 and Bunker Hill Road in unincorporated Woodstock left a man seriously injured and required him to be flown to the hospital around 10 a.m. Monday.