The sheriff said in an update that a car failed to yield at a stop sign to a semi-truck, causing a crash that left two teens seriously injured and a 21-year-old man in critical condition on Route 14 near Woodstock.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:55 p.m. Monday to the intersection of Route 14 and Hartland Road in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Firefighters, paramedics and law enforcement officers arrived to find a two-vehicle crash involving a Jeep and a semi-truck with moderate to heavy damage, according to Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.
A preliminary investigation indicates that a 2023 Freightliner, driven by a 52-year-old Sterling man, was traveling westbound on Route 14, the sheriff’s office said.
A 2020 Jeep Wrangler, driven by an 18-year-old Rockford man, was traveling northbound on Hughes Road.
The Jeep had a 16-year-old passenger and a 21-year-old passenger from Texas.
Hughes Road turns into Hartland Road north of Route 14. Traffic on southbound Hartland Road and northbound on Hughes Road has a stop sign, while traffic on Route 14 does not have a traffic control device.
The driver of the Jeep failed to yield at the stop sign for unknown reasons and crashed into the Freightliner, sheriff’s officials said.
The Jeep exited the roadway and struck a utility pole. A stop sign was also damaged.
All occupants had exited their vehicles prior to first responders’ arrival.
Paramedics began providing emergency medical care after determining that three occupants of the Jeep had suffered injuries, including two with critical injuries, Vucha said.
Firefighters also conducted an initial assessment of the semi-truck and confirmed that no safety concerns involving the truck or its cargo were present.
Two medical helicopters were requested to the scene due to the severity of the injuries. One of them was canceled because of a prolonged estimated arrival time, Vucha said.
An additional ambulance from the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District was requested to assist with patient care and transportation.
Vucha said a LifeNet medical helicopter landed at the scene and the 21-year-old male passenger of the Jeep was flown to Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital – Riverside in Rockford with critical, life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the Jeep was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, sheriff’s officials said.
The 16-year-old Jeep passenger was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the semi-truck declined medical evaluation at the scene.
The intersection and surrounding roadways were shut down in all directions for hours to allow emergency crews to safely treat patients, establish a landing zone for the medical helicopter and investigate the cause of the crash, Vucha said.
The sheriff’s office said Route 14 was shut down between Marawood Drive and Dimmel Road in both directions before being reopened around 9:45 p.m.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District thanked the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District for providing ambulance assistance and the Huntley Fire Protection District and Wonder Lake Fire Protection District for providing change-of-quarters coverage while fire crews remained committed at the scene.
No charges or citations have been announced yet.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation by the McHenry County Major Crash Investigation Unit.