Six inmates and two correctional officers were hospitalized for evaluation after the prisoner transport van they were in was involved in a minor crash with an SUV on Interstate 94 in Gurnee Friday morning.
The Illinois State Police, Gurnee Fire Department and Libertyville Fire Department responded around 9:30 a.m. to I-94 eastbound at mile marker 9, which is just south of Grand Avenue, in Gurnee, for a report of a two-vehicle crash with injuries.
Troopers and firefighter/paramedics arrived to find a minor crash between a prisoner transport van and a Honda SUV.
Gurnee Battalion Fire Chief Jim Gramer said that the van was occupied by six inmates and two correctional officers.
It is unclear what agency the van belongs to.
Per the agency’s policy, the six inmates and two correctional officers needed to be transported to the hospital for evaluation, Gramer said.
The driver in the other vehicle involved, a Honda SUV, was not injured and refused to be transported to the hospital.
Both vehicles had very minor damage, Gramer said.
Firefighter/paramedics coordinated with Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville due to the unique situation.
The prisoner transport van drove to Advocate Condell Medical Center, escorted by a Gurnee Fire Department ambulance and state troopers.
The Libertyville Police Department was notified and had officers standing by at the hospital, Gramer said.
The right lane of I-94 eastbound was temporarily blocked by fire engines while paramedics and troopers worked the scene.
The lane was reopened at around 10 a.m.
The crash remains under investigation by the Illinois State Police.