A driver was seriously injured after a crash involving a train that caused his vehicle to become fully engulfed in flames near Harvard Thursday morning.
The Harvard Fire Protection District, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Metra Police Department responded around 2:24 a.m. Thursday to the area of Irish Lane and McGuire Road in unincorporated Harvard for a report of a train-involved crash.
Harvard Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said the incident occurred at the McGuire Road railroad crossing and was reported to involve a vehicle and train with the vehicle on fire.
Firefighters arrived at the crossing but were initially unable to locate the train or vehicle.
It was learned that the vehicle had been struck approximately a quarter mile north of the crossing around a bend in the tracks and was fully engulfed in flames, Vucha said.
A utility terrain vehicle (UTV) was used to transport firefighters and paramedics to the crash scene due to the terrain.
Fire crews located the vehicle on the southbound tracks and an adult male victim approximately 20 feet down in a nearby ravine.
Vucha said it appeared the victim had exited the car on his own before it became engulfed in flames.
The patient was removed in the pouring rain using rescue equipment.
He was taken back to an awaiting ambulance and then transported to a trauma center in Rockford with serious injuries, Vucha said.
A medical helicopter was requested to respond but none were available due to the weather conditions.
Firefighters remained on the scene ensuring the fire had been fully extinguished and cooled enough for removal companies to begin their work.
The train, a local Union Pacific freight, was traveling northbound with five cars in its mixed consist. It contained no hazardous materials and did not derail in the incident.
Vucha said no injuries were reported to the crew and the male driver of the car was the only person injured.
McGuire Road was shut down from King Road to Irish Lane and reopened around 5:30 a.m.
Delays were expected for commuters on the Metra Northwest Line as a result of the incident.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the Metra Police Department.