A Lake County sheriff’s deputy had to be extricated by firefighters and was hospitalized after a driver ran a red light and T-boned his squad car in Wauconda early Wednesday morning.
The Wauconda Police Department and Wauconda Fire District responded around 5:51 a.m. Wednesday to Route 176, also known as Liberty Street, and Main Street in Wauconda for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries and entrapment.
Wauconda Fire District Battalion Chief John Spratt said the collision involved a Lake County Sheriff’s Office squad car and a small SUV.
Both vehicles sustained moderate damage and were partially blocking both roadways.
The sheriff’s deputy required extrication from his vehicle due to damage to the driver’s side of the squad, Spratt said.
Firefighters were able to gain access to the deputy by partially removing the driver’s side door.
Spratt said the deputy and the other driver were both transported to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington with non-life-threatening injuries.
Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles. The Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
Wauconda Police Department Public Information Officer Heather Cognac said an investigation showed the white Kia Soul was traveling southbound on Main Street when it failed to stop for a red traffic signal.
The Kia, driven by an 82-year-old man, entered the intersection at Route 176 and struck the squad, driven by a 28-year-old male sheriff’s deputy, Cognac said.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the deputy was traveling eastbound on Route 176 and proceeded through Main Street on a green light when the SUV struck the driver’s side of the squad car.
The deputy remained hospitalized as of Wednesday mid-morning, Covelli said, adding that the deputy was not responding to a call at the time of the crash and had been on routine patrol.
The crash remains under investigation and no citations or charges have been announced.