McHenry County Sheriff's Squad Car was the second one I saw heading toward the Route 47 accident.
As I was heading to the McHenry County Courthouse complex for the Republican Party-sponsored Chicago Food Pantry food giveaway, a Woodstock Police car came screaming down Business 14 and turned onto Route 47.
It was easy to tell that this was not a routine call and, given the time of night, something before six P.M., I guessed it was an auto accident.
The traffic light override was engaged at Judd Street and Route 47.
Stopping for gas at the Citgo to avoid Mayor Aaron Shepley’s 75% sales tax increase, a Sheriff’s squad car was accelerating down 47.
Woodstock Fire Engine Number 01 headed south on Route 47.
We got to the light at Judd Street, on which the main Fire Station is located. I noticed the little light next to the traffic light was white.
Sure enough, what has to be one of Woodstock’s biggest engine, number “01,” rolled around the corner onto Route 47 going south.
While at the courthouse parking lot another engine, siren blasting, came down Ware Road, turning south on Route 47.
Woodstock Fire Truck E35 also responded to the accident. The back of the sign you see says "McHenry County Republican Headquaters." The local GOP were sponsoring a Northern Illinois Food Bank free food pick-up in the Courthouse parking lot.
I decided to take Route 47 home. Before reaching Bypass 14, I noticed a helicopter heading in a northerly direction. I thought it might be a Flight for Life, but I couldn’t figure out what hospital it might be heading for. Rockford is west and the helicopter seemed to be heading more northwest.
Continuing down 47, we reached a roadblock at Lucas Road.
Route 47 was blocked at Lucas Road by a Woodstock Police car.
East or west were our choices. I went west a bit and parked.
It appears to be a head-on crash between two cars. It is unclear if the truck with the blue trailer was involved or is just blocking the road to prevent others from piling into the wreck. (Click to enlarge this or any other image.)
You can see what my long lens caught of this major accident. Two cars seemed to have been involved. There is a red truck with a blue trailer which might have been part of the accident, too. Maybe it is just blocking the road to prevent other cars from hitting the wrecked ones. Another white semi probably stopped to help.
The fire engines had left, but two Sheriff’s Department squad cars were there. The deputies were examining the car on the road, which appeared to have been hit head-on.
Below you can see a close-up of the demolished car in the middle of the road.
Here's a close-up of the demolished car sitting astride Route 47.
The white car which ended up in the western ditch is seen next.
Route 47's western ditch is where the white car ended up.
We drove west on Lucas and down Dean Street Road to Route 176. It took a long time to get out onto the main road.
Route 47 was blocked at its northern intersection with Route 176. This is at the northern edge of the over 400 acres the Village of Lakewood seeks to annex.
At the intersection of Routes 176 and 47, a Sheriff’s Deputy told northbound cars to head west to Dean Street and it would take them to Woodstock.
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Gus Philpott’s Woodstock Advocate has a story on the crash here. Included is an earlier photo.
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