A crash on US Route 14 yesterday afternoon resulted in serious injuries for a 19-year-old from Harvard, according to authorities. The McHenry County Sheriff's Office reports that the man was involved in a three-vehicle accident that took place in the 17100 block of the route in unincorporated Harvard.

The incident, which occurred at approximately 2:15 p.m., involved a 2017 Chevrolet Cruze that, while attempting to pass a semi at the Dunham Road intersection, entered a no-passing zone and subsequently struck a 2011 Infinity. The chain-reaction crash didn't stop there, the Chevrolet went on to hit an unoccupied Hyundai Sonata in a nearby business parking lot, where it finally came to a halt. In the chaos, the crash also resulted in a severed natural gas main.

Responding to the scene were members from various local fire departments, including Harvard, Marengo, Woodstock, as well as MD 1 and LifeNet. The driver of the Chevrolet was the sole occupant to sustain injuries and was subsequently transported to Javon Bea Hospital Riverside in Rockford. Officials noted he was in critical condition, with an airbag deployment and, crucially, he was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

The occupants of the Infinity, a 63-year-old Lake Barrington man, and his companion, a 63-year-old woman from Chicago, emerged from the crash without injuries. Both had been wearing their seat belts. NICOR Gas also arrived on the scene to address the natural gas leak, ensuring safety for the surrounding area. Early indications suggest that alcohol may have played a role in the crash, which remains under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit.