Bystanders step in, rescue person from vehicle on fire after crash in Harvard

Bystanders rescued a person involved in a fiery two-vehicle crash Sunday morning near Harvard, which led to both drivers being taken to the hospital with serious injuries, officials said.

The crash, which took place along Route 14 in unincorporated Harvard, led to the road being closed in both directions for almost five hours, Harvard Fire Protection District spokesman Alex Vucha said.

Officials with the district responded to the scene at 11:20 a.m. Sunday after numerous 911 calls were made about a vehicle overturned and on fire with the driver still inside, Vucha said. It was reported that bystanders rescued the driver from the burning vehicle before firefighters arrived.

While officials put out the vehicle fire, they worked to extract the other drive from their vehicle, and did so in about 20 minutes, Vucha said.

That driver was flown to Javon Bea Hospital - Riverside in Rockford with critical, life-threatening injuries, Vucha said. The driver of the vehicle that was on fire was flown in a separate helicopter to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford with serious injuries.

Both drivers were the only ones in their vehicles, Vucha said.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crash, Vucha said.

Along with Harvard, ambulances from Woodstock and Hebron were dispatched as well, along with an engine and tender from the Walworth Fire and Rescue Department out of Wisconsin, Vucha said.