Driver Critically Injured In 2-Vehicle Crash Near Harvard: Fire Officials

HARVARD, IL — A driver suffered critical, life-threatening injuries in a two-vehicle crash Saturday night near Harvard, which shut down Route 14 for several hours, fire officials said.

The Harvard Fire Protection District responded to the 9800 block of Route 14 in unincorporated Harvard at about 10:50 p.m. Saturday for the reported crash, according to a news release from the fire district. While crews were responding, additional reports indicated a driver may have been ejected from one of the vehicles.

A medical helicopter and Mercyhealth MD-1, a physician-staffed emergency response vehicle, were requested to the scene. When firefighters arrived, they found two vehicles approximately 400 feet apart, according to a news release.

One vehicle had sustained heavy damage and rolled over before coming to rest upright in a field, while the second vehicle remained in the roadway to the north, authorities said.

Paramedics found the driver — a man — who was the sole occupant of the vehicle in the field, suffering from multiple traumatic injuries. A medical helicopter transported the driver to Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside in Rockford with critical, life-threatening injuries, according to the fire district.

An ambulance from the Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts was also called to evaluate three adults in the second vehicle. None reported injuries or required hospitalization, officials said.

Initial reports suggested power lines may have been involved in the crash, but firefighters determined there was no electrical hazard. Route 14 was closed in both directions for several hours while emergency crews worked at the scene.

The roadway reopened at approximately 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office is investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Authorities have not released information about what caused the collision.