Harvard woman charged with DUI following helicopter transport in Friday crash near Richmond

A 30-year-old Harvard woman was charged with driving under the influence after suffering serious injuries and and being flown to a Rockford hospital because of a single-vehicle rollover crash about 7:15 p.m. Friday, officials said.

The crash occurred while the woman was driving west on Tryon Grove Road near Barnard Mill Road south of Richmond, said Eric Schwind, the assistant chief of Richmond Township Fire Protection District.

The woman was identified as Melina Godinez-Garcia, said Deputy Tim Creighton of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

While the woman’s injuries were serious, they were not life-threatening, Schwind said.

It is unknown what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway, officials said. The 2020 Ford Ranger driven by the woman injured was the only car involved, and the driver was its sole occupant.

She was wearing a seat belt and the car’s airbags deployed in the crash, Creighton said. Personnel from multiple fire departments responded to help extricate the woman from the vehicle, Creighton said.

In addition to the DUI charge, police also issued citations for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane use and operating an uninsured vehicle, Creighton said.

Schwind had heard no update on the woman’s status since the incident.