Police say a driver will be cited after she caused a two-vehicle crash that left her with severe injuries, caused heavy damage and injured a pet bird on Route 12 in Wauconda.
The Wauconda Fire District, Wauconda Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 1:40 p.m. Tuesday to the area of Route 12 and West Ivanhoe Road in Wauconda for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Wauconda Fire District Lt. Matthew Savage said a passerby called 911 to report the crash and said there was CPR in progress on a victim.
Fire crews arrived and found an injured driver who was conscious with no CPR in progress.
The driver was lying in the grass and surrounded by bystanders, Savage said. She was not ejected from the vehicle.
Two vehicles, a blue Honda sedan and a Hyundai Tucson, were involved in the crash.
One of the vehicles sustained moderate to heavy damage and the other sustained heavy damage.
Both adult drivers were transported to area hospitals. One of them suffered severe injuries and the other was walking around and suffered minor injuries, Savage said.
The drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles.
Wauconda Police Department Public Information Officer Heather Cognac said the Honda, driven by an 80-year-old Deerfield woman, was traveling northbound on Route 12 at Ivanhoe Road.
The Hyundai, driven by a 50-year-old Wauconda woman, was traveling southbound on Route 12.
The Hyundai was struck by the Honda, which attempted to turn left onto Ivanhoe Road in front of it while the 80-year-old driver, who is not from the area, was following GPS directions, Cognac said.
The Honda sedan came to rest off the roadway in a grassy area and the Hyundai came to rest in the southbound lanes of Route 12 near the outside shoulder.
Savage said a pet African grey bird that was in the SUV suffered scratches and was transported to the Wauconda Fire Department.
A family member was notified and came to pick it up and transport it to the veterinarian for evaluation.
The outside southbound lane of Route 12 was temporarily shut down during the incident, Savage said.
Cognac said in an update that the 80-year-old driver will be cited for failure to yield turning left after she is released from the hospital.