Moped Driver, Passenger Critically Injured In Lake County Crash

WADSWORTH, IL — A moped driver and passenger suffered life-threatening injuries Sunday afternoon after they were struck by a car in Wadsworth, authorities said.

Lake County sheriff's deputies responded at about 1:45 p.m. on Sunday to the intersection of Delany Road and August Zupec Drive for a crash with injuries. When deputies arrived, they found a heavily damaged Honda 150 moped and its two riders unconscious in the roadway, police said.

A preliminary investigation found the 35-year-old moped driver and his 32-year-old female passenger were headed north on Delany Road and appeared to slow to make a left turn onto August Zupec Drive, according to a sheriff's office news release.

As the moped turned, the driver of a northbound Chevrolet Malibu, a 24-year-old woman, allegedly swerved into the southbound lane in an attempt to pass and struck the moped, according to the sheriff's office.

Chief Christopher Covelli said the 35-year-old moped driver was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, while his 32-year-old passenger was wearing one. Both riders were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where they remain in critical condition as of Monday morning, Covelli said.

The driver of the Chevrolet and a passenger in her car, a 49-year-old woman, were not injured.

No citations or charges have been filed at this time. The collision remains under investigation and investigators are waiting for the Technical Crash Investigations Team to complete its investigation before making any charging decisions, Covelli said.