McHenry woman in serious condition after motorcycle crash outside Crystal Lake

A 36-year-old McHenry woman is in serious condition after the motorcycle she was a passenger on was involved in a crash with two other vehicles about 9:30 p.m. Saturday on Route 31 outside Crystal Lake, authorities said Monday afternoon.

Two motorcycles were involved in the crash, along with a Ford Fusion. The motorcycle drivers were taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital and later released with minor injuries, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Based on a preliminary investigation, a 2011 Ford Fusion was traveling north on Route 31 at Crystal Lake Avenue and began to slow down when its rear was struck by a 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by a 38-year-old McHenry man who had the woman now in serious condition as a passenger, the sheriff’s office said in the release.

Both the man driving and the female passenger were ejected from the motorcycle, according to the release. Another motorcyclist on a 2003 Yamaha V Star following the Harley tried to avoid the crash by laying his motorcycle down.

The driver of the Yamaha, a 32-year-old man from Trevor, Wisconsin, was ejected, and the motorcycle then struck the Harley’s passenger who was laying in the roadway, according to the release.

The woman was flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and remains in serious condition, the sheriff’s office said.

Neither person on the Harley was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, according to the release.

The driver of the Ford, a 35-year-old McHenry woman, was treated and released at the scene of the crash. The car’s airbags did not deploy, according to the release.

Investigators with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit still are investigating the incident. The release did not mention whether drug or alcohol impairment is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Personnel with the Crystal Lake Police Department, Oakwood Hills Police Department and Crystal Lake Fire Department responded to the scene along with the sheriff’s office.