An 18-year-old driver died after a violent two-vehicle crash in downtown Richmond on Sunday night, authorities said. The teen was airlifted to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and died the next day in the intensive care unit. The collision happened at the intersection of Route 12 and Route 173 and involved a Toyota Corolla and a Nissan Armada that was towing a camper. Both drivers had to be extricated from the badly mangled vehicles.
Officer Spots Speeding Sedan Seconds Before Impact
Just before the crash, a Richmond police officer who was in the middle of an unrelated traffic stop saw a silver sedan barreling westbound on Route 173 in the oncoming lane, Richmond Police Chief Ciro Cetrangolo said. Witnesses and radio traffic put the Corolla at roughly 100 mph in a 35 mph zone, and “vehicle speed appears to be a contributing factor in the crash,” Cetrangolo told Lake and McHenry County Scanner.
Coroner IDs Victim As 18-Year-Old, Launches Probe
The Lake County coroner identified the driver who died as 18-year-old John Ethan Regan-Langrick and said the office has opened a death investigation. The preliminary cause of death was listed as complications of blunt-force injuries, and Regan-Langrick was pronounced dead in the ICU on Monday, according to the Northwest Herald.
Fire Crews, Flight Team Scramble Amid Wreckage
Crews from the Richmond Township Fire Protection District cut both drivers out of the wreckage, then requested LifeNet 3-1 to fly the critically injured Corolla driver to Advocate Condell. The helicopter landed at the Richmond fire station to make the transfer, while the woman driving the Nissan was taken by ground to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital in stable condition. The force of the crash tore the camper off its frame and scattered debris across Route 173. A nearby corner business and a utility pole were damaged, and specialty tow trucks were later called in to clear the intersection, Lake and McHenry County Scanner reported.
Major Crash Team Locks Down Intersection
Given the severity of the collision, the McHenry County Major Crash Assistance Team responded to reconstruct the wreck. Investigators shut down all four directions of Route 12 and Route 173 into the early morning hours while they measured the scene and interviewed witnesses. Police said more details will be released once the MCAT investigation is complete, as reported by the Northwest Herald.
Call For Witnesses As Community Reels
Officials are asking anyone with information to contact the Richmond Police Department as the coroner continues its work. Neighbors and nearby business owners described a chaotic scene and credited good Samaritans who rushed in to help at the crash site before first responders arrived.
