A driver was airlifted to a Rockford hospital Monday morning after his car went through a guardrail, rolled onto its side and came to rest down a steep embankment along a creek bed, Huntley officials said.

Huntley Deputy Chief of Police Kevin Keane said speed was likely a factor in the crash rather than road conditions, as Huntley got only a dusting of snow overnight.

The Huntley Fire Protection District and Huntley Police Department were called out at about 8:05 a.m. to Kreutzer Road near the railroad tracks in Huntley for a reported water rescue. Firefighters arriving on the scene determined the vehicle was not in the creek and called off the water rescue team, said Alex Vucha, public information officer for the fire district.

The driver, an adult male, was conscious but trapped inside the vehicle with serious injuries, Vucha said in a news release. After the vehicle was stabilized, paramedics entered to provide medical care while firefighters began cutting away the car to extricate the driver.

After about 40 minutes, the patient was safely removed, taken to the Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital helipad and then airlifted to a Rockford hospital for further treatment, according to the release.

Kreutzer Road remained closed in both directions for over an hour, and Union Pacific Railroad was notified to halt rail traffic due to the proximity of the scene to the tracks, according to the release.

“Crews did a professional job given the difficult access to the vehicle down in the ravine,” Huntley Battalion Chief Eric Bentley said. “The steep terrain and position of the car made stabilization and patient removal extremely challenging. Their teamwork and persistence ensured the patient received the care he needed as quickly as possible.”

The Huntley Police Department continues to investigate the crash.