A 20-year-old man was flown to the hospital after suffering serious injuries during a crash with trees that left his car approximately 20 yards down an embankment near Richmond Friday morning.
The Richmond Township Fire Protection District, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Richmond Police Department responded around 9:56 a.m. Friday to the area of Tryon Grove Road and Keystone Road in unincorporated Richmond for a vehicle crash with injuries.
An initial report indicated the car may have struck a tree and driven off the roadway.
Fire officials said firefighters arrived in six minutes after receiving the call and found a single-vehicle crash a mile west of Keystone Road on the south side of Tryon Grove Road.
The vehicle was off the roadway approximately 20 yards down an embankment.
Paramedics found an adult male victim who was not trapped in the car.
A preliminary investigation shows a 2010 Hyundai Elantra was traveling eastbound on Tryon Grove Road when it left the roadway to the south, sideswiped two trees and struck a fence, the sheriff’s office said.
The Hyundai sustained significant damage, resulting in serious injuries to the driver.
A patient assessment and care were conducted and it was determined that a medical helicopter was needed to transport him to a Level 1 trauma center, fire officials said.
Mercyhealth MD-1, a mobile response physician, was also called to the scene to assist.
Fire officials said the victim was transported by ambulance to the Richmond Township Fire Protection District station where a landing zone was established.
A Mercyhealth REACT helicopter landed and the victim was transferred to the flight crew.
They flew the man to Mercyhealth Javon Bea — Riverside in Rockford for treatment.
Fire officials said they did not know the exact condition of the patient at the time of transport.
Sheriff’s officials said the man, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was in serious condition in the hospital. The car’s airbags did deploy.
Tryon Grove Road was shut down from Barnard Mill Road to Keystone Road for several hours during a crash investigation. It was reopened around 1:15 p.m.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.