Three people were hospitalized in critical condition after a two-vehicle crash that left one car rolled over and one of the victims trapped, shutting down Route 45 in Libertyville Monday morning.
The Libertyville Police Department and Libertyville Fire Department responded around 10:20 a.m. Monday to Route 45 and Winchester Road in Libertyville for a vehicle crash with injuries.
Police officers and firefighters arrived to find a sedan and an SUV involved in a crash in the northeast corner of the intersection.
The Kia SUV was rolled over onto its side, partially off the roadway.
The sedan, which had front-end damage, came to rest in the intersection.
Libertyville Assistant Fire Chief Michael Hall said three ambulances were called to the scene, including one from Mundelein.
The sedan was occupied by the driver and sole occupant, who was able to self-extricate themselves.
The Kia SUV was occupied by a man and a woman, Hall said. The male victim was trapped inside and required extrication.
Hall said firefighters cut the roof of the Kia off to free the man from the vehicle.
The process, which involved the use of struts to stabilize the car, took approximately 15 minutes.
All three victims involved were transported by ambulance to the hospital in critical condition based on the mechanism of injury, Hall said.
Police shut down most of the intersection and diverted traffic for over two hours until around 12:40 p.m., at which time tow trucks removed the cars following a crash investigation.
Northbound Route 45 was shut down at USG Drive, westbound Winchester Road was shut down at American Way and eastbound traffic was shut down at the intersection and diverted south on Route 45.
The Libertyville Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the cause of the crash.