The sheriff says a driver ran a stop sign and caused a crash that resulted in a car colliding into a house, killing two people who were trapped when the car caught fire, on the border of Harvard and Walworth.
The Harvard Fire Protection, Fontana Fire and Rescue Department, Walworth County Sheriff’s Office and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11:48 p.m. Friday to the area of Route 14 and State Line Road in unincorporated Harvard for a report of a vehicle crash with entrapment.
911 callers reported two vehicles crashed at the intersection and they had crashed into a building, according to Walworth County Sheriff’s Office Sgt Garth Frami.
One of the vehicles was reported to be on fire with people trapped inside the car.
Fire crews arrived and confirmed a car on fire that crashed into a house on the northwest corner of the intersection.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level and then the second alarm for additional fire department resources.
Numerous other fire departments from the area, along with Mercyhealth MD-1, responded to the scene.
Frami said the fire had spread to the house and the blaze was extinguished.
The vehicle that caught fire was occupied by a driver and a passenger.
The Walworth County Medical Examiner’s Office pronounced both of them dead at the scene, Frami said. Their identities are being temporarily withheld.
The driver of the second vehicle, identified as 20-year-old Zachary Bryan, survived but suffered serious injuries.
A Mercyhealth REACT medical helicopter was requested and landed at Big Foot Inn Restaurant, 11508 Route 14 in Harvard, to transport Bryan.
An initial investigation by the sheriff’s office’s Crash Investigation Unit showed Bryan was traveling westbound on State Line Road and failed to stop at the stop sign at Route 14, striking the other vehicle as it traveled northbound on Route 14.
The impact caused both vehicles to leave the roadway and collide with the nearby residence, Frami said. The residence was occupied but no injuries were suffered by anyone inside.
Barry Carlson, who lives next door to the incident, told Lake and McHenry County Scanner the vehicle traveling on State Line Road was driving at a high rate of speed when the driver turned off his lights and ran the stop sign at the intersection at Route 14, causing a T-bone crash.
Neighbors used a garden hose to try and extinguish the flames while attempting to rescue the two occupants in the car.
Carlson said his son was among those trying to rescue the victims but both of them were pronounced dead at the scene.
“Very sad sequence of events. I wish people would understand that when you do stupid things, more times than not, innocent people get hurt,” Carlson said, adding that the crash was captured on dashcam video.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office asked motorists to avoid Route 14 and State Line Road due to the road closure for the investigation. The roadway was reopened by around 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
McHenry County officials said that the crash happened on the Walworth County, Wisconsin, side of the intersection, which is why the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.
“The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office sends its condolences to all who are impacted by this crash,” the department said.
The investigation remains ongoing by the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, which said they are consulting with the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office. No charges have been announced yet.