2 hospitalized after Harvard-area crash on snow-covered road

Two people were taken to the hospital Friday night after a crash near Harvard.

The Harvard Fire Protection District was called to the intersection of Route 23 and North Olbrich Road near Harvard for a two-vehicle crash about 9:15 p.m. Friday, Harvard Fire Protection District public information officer Alex Vucha said.

While crews were en route, additional 911 callers reported that one of the drivers was pinned inside his vehicle. First responders found the crash just south of the intersection, and additional resources were requested from neighboring departments.

Emergency crews worked for 20 minutes to extricate a man who was driving a white sedan. He was taken to Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside in Rockford with serious injuries, while a woman who was a passenger in the sedan was taken to Javon Bea with moderate injuries, Vucha said.

A man driving a pickup truck declined medical attention.

Both directions of Route 23 were temporarily closed while first responders worked on the scene, and the road remained closed to allow tow trucks to remove the vehicles.

Roads were covered with snow at the time of the crash, which created “hazardous driving conditions,” Vucha said.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash.