Motorcyclist airlifted after crash on Route 173

A motorcyclist from Loves Park was airlifted to the hospital Thursday afternoon after they crashed with a vehicle along Route 173, officials said.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash around 12:20 p.m. at the intersection of Route 173 and Keystone Road near Richmond, spokesperson Emily Matusek said.

The crash involved the 57-year-old motorcyclist driving a 2010 Harley Davidson Fatboy, and a white 2017 Nissan Versa, driven by an 18-year-old woman out of McHenry, Matusek said.

The motorcycle was traveling eastbound on 173 while the Nissan was traveling south on Keystone, Matusek said. The driver of the Nissan failed to yield to the right of way, causing the collision, she said.

The motorcyclist as a result was airlifted, but is in stable condition, Matusek said. The driver of the Nissan was uninjured and cited. Drugs and alcohol are not thought to be a factor.

A nearly three-mile stretch of Route 173 in northern McHenry County was closed Thursday afternoon as a result, re-opening a little before 3:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office said.

The stretch of road ran from Greenwood Road to Broadway Road along Route 173, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. The stretch of road runs between Hebron and Richmond.