14 injured from band when their van crashes in McHenry; group thanks responders

Nine people affiliated with a musical group were taken to area hospitals following the crash of their tour van in McHenry Saturday night.

“We had nine transported ranging from severe to minor injuries,” McHenry Township Fire Protection District Lt. Ryan Mastandrea said. Fourteen people in total were treated.

First responders were called at 7:20 p.m. to Route 31 at Prime Parkway in McHenry for the report of a crash with entrapment, Mastandrea said.

The group of 14 people in the van are with the band La Picosa, which is from Mexico, and they were en route from Aurora to Milwaukee to perform a concert when this crash occurred, McHenry Deputy Chief of Police Thomas Walsh said.

Walsh said the van was traveling north on Route 31 when the driver fell asleep at the wheel, leaving the road and striking a utility pole on the 1500 block of Route 31 in McHenry.

One person was flown by air ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with a reported fractured pelvis and femur, Walsh said.

Two were taken to Mercyhealth Hospital in Crystal Lake, two were taken to Good Shepherd Hospital near Barrington and the rest to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, Mastandrea said.

According to a Northwestern Medicine spokesperson, six patients were taken to its McHenry hospital, which is just a few blocks from the crash site.

La Picosa Hernández Banda posted an announcement on its Facebook page in Spanish confirming the band, which is based in Ocotlán, Mexico, was in a crash while traveling to Milwaukee for a show. The announcement said that none of the injuries are thought to be life-threatening.

“We are infinitely grateful for all the messages and gestures of affection, from our followers, the general public, the musical colleagues and the entire population that has provided us with the necessary support here in the U.S., as well as the relevant authorities, who provided us first aid and the rescue tasks that were necessary,” according to a translation of the band’s statement.

According to an eyewitness, the van was towing a trailer, which was still attached to the van following the crash. Rick Tomlinson of Wonder Lake said he passed by the crash site shortly after it happened and saw many bystanders already at the scene helping those injured. He said he also said six to eight people on the ground.

Many of them, he said, were “wearing the same T-shirts so I assume they were in the van, some sort of group.”

Tomlinson said the van was facing north in the southbound lanes.

The crash blew out the transformer on the pole that was hit, causing a loss of power to areas of McHenry, Walsh said.

In addition to McHenry Township, ambulances came from Spring Grove, Nunda Rural and Wauconda fire departments, Mastandrea said.