Traffic turned tragic in McHenry County when a 23-year-old Marengo man was killed in a violent two-vehicle collision on Monday, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. The crash, which occurred at the risky intersection of South Union Road and East Coral Road in unincorporated Union, also sent four others to the hospital with varying injuries.

The devastating incident unfolded at approximately 4:57 pm, as reported by the Sheriff's Office. A 2000 Toyota Sienna, carrying the young victim along with two others, failed to yield at a stop sign and was broadsided by an oncoming 2008 Toyota 4Runner. The impact was severe enough to send both vehicles hurtling into an adjacent field, with the 4Runner ending up on its side.

Immediate response from multiple departments, including the Union Fire Department and Huntley Fire Department, converged on the scene, but the 23-year-old passenger of the Sienna was pronounced dead at the scene. The drivers of both vehicles, a 40-year-old Woodstock woman and a 70-year-old Marengo man, were taken to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin. Two other passengers, a 41-year-old Marengo man from the Sienna, and another 23-year-old Marengo man were transported to Northwestern Medicine in Huntley.

The crash aftermath also caused collateral damage. A guide wire to a power unit was damage, leading to local power outages while ComEd personnel worked to repair the damages. Investigators noted airbag deployments in both vehicles but ruled out alcohol as a contributing factor in the collision. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit alongside the McHenry County Coroners Office are continuing their probe into the incident.