Two teenagers were injured, one critically, after their SUV crashed into an auto body shop and caught on fire Saturday morning.
The Fox Lake Police Department and Fox Lake Fire Protection District responded around 7:25 a.m. Saturday to Dan’s Auto Body, 702 Rollins Road in Fox Lake, for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Doug Lewis, who owns the body shop, told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that he and another employee were working inside when he heard what sounded like a freight train derailing.
Lewis and the employee ran outside to find a white Chevrolet Traverse SUV that had crashed through the wall at the front of their shop.
The Chevrolet ended up against the building and its engine compartment caught on fire, Lewis said.
Two teenagers in the Chevrolet were reportedly trapped inside.
Lewis called 911, quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher, and used it to put out the fire.
Police officers and firefighter/paramedics rushed to the scene and arrived within minutes.
The fire was extinguished by the time firefighters pulled up, Fox Lake Battalion Fire Chief Larry Van HoorelBeke said.
Paramedics began rushing one of the teenagers to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in critical condition, but the ambulance diverted to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital because the teen was going in and out of consciousness, Van HoorelBeke said.
The teen was then airlifted to Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
The other teenager was also transported to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital in stable condition, Van HoorelBeke said.
No other injuries were reported, and no other vehicles were involved.
The Chevrolet sustained heavy front-end damage.
The front brick facade of the body shop also sustained significant structural damage.
A nearby utility pole was also damaged, prompting a ComEd field employee to respond.
Firefighters deployed a hose line and checked for any fire extension to the building.
They also evaluated the building’s structural stability for any collapse risk.
A structural technician with the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District was requested, and crews verified the building was stable, Van HoorelBeke said.
There was 5 to 8 feet of intrusion into the building from the collision.
The shop is working with structural engineers to further evaluate the damage.
Debris was scattered throughout the parking lot and on Rollins Road.
Tire marks were seen on the grass along the north side of Rollins Road just east of the business.
Several tow truck operators from Marathon Towing and Fox Recovery & Towing responded to remove the Chevrolet and clean up the debris.
Fox Lake police officers provided traffic control on Rollins Road while the tow truck crews were working on the roadway.
Lewis said that the crash caused a complete loss of business.
The shop, which was bought from Dan in 2021 and also performs marine and boat work, is in the process of notifying its customers of what happened.
Lewis added that the incident is a financial strain and said they would appreciate any business and support once they are able to reopen.
The Major Crash Assistance Team (MCAT) of Lake County later responded to the scene to investigate.
Lake & McHenry County Scanner has reached out to the Fox Lake Police Department for further details on the incident.