A teen driver who crashed into a tree near Huntley and had to be flown out due to the extent of her injuries fell asleep at the wheel before the crash, authorities said.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Communication Specialist Emily Matusek-Baker said the 18-year-old female was driving a 2020 Buick Encore SUV northbound on Seeman Road near Huntley at about 1 a.m. on Sunday when she fell asleep behind the wheel.
The vehicle veered off the roadway and hit a tree just south of Church Road, authorities said
The Huntley Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded at 12:58 a.m. Sunday to the 10300 block of Seeman Road in unincorporated Huntley for the crash.
Fire crews arrived and found a vehicle that had struck a tree and was heavily damaged, according to Huntley Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Brian Harders.
Harders said the incident was upgraded to an extrication response due to the severity of the crash and the condition of the vehicle.
The driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
A LifeNet medical helicopter was requested to respond due to serious injuries and the extended time to extricate the trapped victim from the car, Harders said.
Additional fire crews responded to the scene and also established a landing zone for the helicopter nearby at Huntley High School, 13719 Harmony Road.
The driver was extricated from the vehicle by firefighters and transported by ambulance to the landing zone.
Harders said the victim was transferred to the flight crew and flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, which is a Level 1 trauma center.
Matusek-Baker also said wet conditions at the time may have contributed to the crash.
Alcohol and/or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in the ongoing investigation, Matusek-Baker said.