2 Injured, 1 In Critical Condition After Two-Vehicle Crash On Manhattan-Monee Road: Manhattan Fire

UNINCORPORATED MANHATTAN — Two people were injured—one critically—in a crash at Manhattan-Monee and Schoolhouse roads late Tuesday afternoon, according to Illinois State Police and Manhattan Fire Protection District officials.

State Police were called at 4:35 p.m. Tuesday for a report a two-unit traffic crash at the intersection. Manhattan Fire Protection District first responders also responded to the scene.

Two people were injured, and one required extrication, according to Manhattan Fire Protection District Chief Steve Malone.

The extricated driver was later airlifted to the nearest trauma center, Malone said. The second driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, he said.

Manhattan-Monee Road was closed between S. Schoolhouse and Kankakee roads while state police investigated.

Manhattan Fire Protection District continues to see a spike in serious crashes in the area, particularly around high-traffic hours, officials said.

Tuesday's crash comes a month after a Manhattan woman was killed in a head-on collision with a school bus at Manhattan-Monee Road near Kankakee Street.

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In late-January, a Chicago man died in a crash with a semi on Wilmington-Peotone Road, in Peotone.

In December 2025, a head-on crash in nearby Elwood claimed the lives of Elwood man Joshua Villalobos, 35, and Diane Hopkins, 64, of Ohio. Two others were injured. Just more than a week later, 32-year-old Manhattan woman Victoria Stanek died in a single vehicle rollover crash at Route 45 and Steger Road near Frankfort.

In October, 13-year-old Chance Hunnicutt was fatally struck by a semi while riding his bike in downtown Manhattan.

"Another serious crash. Another peak travel hour. Another helicopter launch," wrote the Manhattan Fire Protection District in a release shared on social media. "We continue to see an increase in serious vehicle crashes in our area, particularly during high-traffic hours.

"We will continue to respond. We will continue to train. We will continue to serve. But prevention takes more than first responders. It takes attentiveness. It takes community awareness. It takes ongoing evaluation of roadway safety and infrastructure. At some point, the trend has to reverse. Slow down. Stay alert. Be fully present when you drive.

"Someone is waiting for you to get home safely."