The sheriff said in an update that a Woodstock man was suspected to have alcohol and drugs in his system and was speeding, leading to a rollover crash that left him ejected and in critical condition near Huntley.
The Huntley Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:57 p.m. Wednesday to the area of Route 47 and Foster Road in unincorporated Huntley for a report of a crash with possible injuries.
Huntley Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said fire crews arrived approximately eight minutes later and found a single-vehicle crash.
The crash was approximately one-half mile east of Route 47 on Foster Road and firefighters reported finding a heavily damaged Jeep overturned on its side.
Vucha said the adult male driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was located in the roadway near the vehicle.
A preliminary investigation shows that the 2022 Jeep Wrangler, driven by a 35-year-old Woodstock man, was traveling westbound on Foster Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
The driver failed to negotiate a curve and exited the roadway to the north where the vehicle struck several trees and rolled over.
The male driver, who was the sole occupant, was ejected from the vehicle and came to rest in the roadway, the sheriff’s office said
Paramedics immediately began initial assessments and treatment of the victim, Vucha said.
A LifeNet medical helicopter was requested to respond to the Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital helipad due to the severity of the injuries.
Vucha said the man was transported by ambulance to the hospital where care was transferred to the flight crew.
The helicopter flew the man to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with critical, life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff’s office said he was in critical condition. Investigators found the airbags in the Jeep deployed but there was no indication that the driver was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Speed, alcohol and drugs are believed to be factors in the crash, sheriff’s officials said.
Foster Road remained completely closed from Route 47 to Conley Road into Wednesday evening as emergency crews operated at the scene and investigators processed the crash site.
The cause of the crash remains under ongoing investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit.