Tragedy struck late Saturday night when a UTV crash near Hebron resulted in the deaths of two Harvard, Illinois men, ages 40 and 36. The incident was immediately attended to by various emergency services including Hebron Alden Greenwood Fire Protection District and Woodstock Fire & Rescue, among others. According to the McHenry County Sheriff's Office, the vehicle, driven by the 40-year-old, with two passengers on board, was traveling eastbound on Thayer Road when it veered off the road at high speed and crashed.
The preliminary investigation suggests the vehicle was moving at a high rate of speed and failed to completely stay on the roadway, striking a utility pole which resulted in downed power lines. The harrowing event led the UTV to roll multiple times and the driver was ejected. It stopped upright in a ditch and then ignited into flames. The two Harvard residents were pronounced dead at the scene, while a third man, a 35-year-old from San Carlos, California, sustained minor injuries and declined medical treatment, as reported by the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.
There's an ongoing investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Crash Investigation Unit together with the McHenry County Coroner’s Office to determine all the circumstantial details surrounding the crash. While the exact causes are still being ascertained, the McHenry County Sheriff's Office believes alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the fatal accident.
