Two injured in Lee County crash; one flown to OSF

DIXON – Two women were injured in a two-vehicle crash about 6:30 p.m. Friday at Illinois Route 2 and Sink Hollow Road, just outside of Dixon.

According to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office news release, Nicole M. Hitchcock, 53, of Winnebago, who was driving a 2017 BMW east on state Route 2, and Edith A. Canales-Kobbeman, 48, of Rock Falls, who was driving west on Route 2 in her 2013 Ford Expedition, collided head-on.

Both drivers had to be extricated from their vehicles. Bystanders removed Canales-Kobbeman from her vehicle, which was on fire after the crash. Firefighters extricated Hitchcock from her vehicle.

Both drivers were taken to KSB Hospital for treatment of their injuries. Canales-Kobbeman was later flown to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford for further treatment.

The cause of the collision is under investigation. A severe thunderstorm was going through the area at the time of the crash and is believed to be a contributing factor, according to the release.

The Dixon Police Department, Dixon Rural Fire Department, Dixon City Fire Department and Advance EMS Ambulance Services assisted at the scene.