Four hospitalized after head-on crash in DeKalb County

Four people were hospitalized Wednesday after suffering injuries in a two-car, head-on crash west of Hampshire and Burlington in DeKalb County, authorities said.

DeKalb County Sheriff Andy Sullivan said two vehicles crashed head-on west of the DeKalb County line on Route 72 just before 4:15 p.m.

“Everybody that was involved in the accident was transported [to a hospital],” Sullivan said.

Three people from Belvidere, including a 48-year-old driver of a 2006 Honda Accord and his two passengers, 21 and 26, were hospitalized, authorities said. Hampshire paramedics and an emergency response helicopter took them to Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford and Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin.

A Pingree Grove woman, 37, was driving a 2018 Hyundai Kona and also was taken by Burlington paramedics to Advocate Sherman.

Everyone involved in the crash wore their seatbelts, authorities said. Sullivan said none suffered injuries that were life-threatening, though one person’s injuries were serious.

The Honda was headed west on Route 72 when it crossed into the oncoming lane due to what authorities called a mechanical failure. The Hyundai, traveling east, collided with it head-on as a result.

The crash remains under investigation, Sullivan. As of Thursday, no citations or criminal charges were issued.

“The preliminary investigation believes that it was because a ball joint came loose on the steering, and that caused the vehicle to go into the oncoming lane of traffic,” Sullivan said. “So it appears to be a mechanical issue that failed, and that’s what caused the crash, but it’s still under investigation.”