The sheriff says an investigation showed a “violent crash” that sent a garbage truck rolled over down an embankment near Cary was likely caused after the vehicle’s brakes failed.
The Cary Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 10:41 a.m. on September 26 to the intersection of Cary Algonquin Road and Klasen Road in unincorporated Cary for a report of a rollover crash.
Cary Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said a 911 caller reported a commercial truck rollover with a driver trapped inside.
Fire crews arrived to find a Groot garbage truck that had traveled over an embankment and rolled over, causing heavy damage to the vehicle.
The 2016 Mack garbage truck was traveling from Klasen Road when it failed to make the turn onto Cary-Algonquin Road, resulting in the truck exiting the roadway to the east and coming to rest on its side, according to McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Communication Specialist Emily Matusek-Baker.
Trees and shrubs were also damaged when it left the roadway.
The adult male driver was trapped in the cab and required extrication, Vucha said.
Firefighters freed the driver within 15 minutes of their arrival and transferred him to an awaiting ambulance.
A medical helicopter was initially requested to the scene but was canceled after further evaluation.
Vucha said the driver was transported by paramedics to Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry with moderate but non-life-threatening injuries.
The truck was fueled by natural gas and was hauling residential garbage.
It sustained a leak in its fuel system that was believed to have been a result of the crash.
The leak was quickly mitigated by firefighters and no additional hazards were an issue, Vucha said.
Matusek-Baker said it is suspected that the truck experienced a mechanical failure.
A scene investigation, along with the driver’s description of events, led the sheriff’s office to be fairly confident that the cause of the crash was a brake line failure, Matusek-Baker said.
The roadway was closed in all directions until shortly before 12 p.m.
The roadway was reopened prior to the truck being removed from the scene due to the vehicle coming to rest well off the roadway.
“Fire crews worked efficiently under challenging conditions to safely extricate the driver from a violent crash and coordinated closely with deputies from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office throughout the incident,” Vucha said.
No citations have been issued and the crash remains under investigation.