Three people were taken to a local hospital following a four-vehicle crash on Joliet’s west side Tuesday.

The Joliet Fire Department and Joliet police responded at 4:18 p.m. to the intersection of Essington and Black roads in response to an accident, the fire department said.

When fire crews arrived, they found four vehicles involved in the crash.

A preliminary investigation by Joliet police determined a Subaru Forester driven by a 73-year-old Joliet woman was traveling eastbound on Black Road approaching Essington Road.

The Subaru allegedly entered the intersection at a high rate of speed and struck a Chrysler Pacifica that was driven by a 53-year-old Joliet woman and was traveling north on Essington Road, making a left turn on a green traffic arrow toward westbound Black Road, Joliet police said.

Following the initial collision, it is believed the Subaru struck a Ford Explorer driven by a 53- year-old Joliet man and a Jeep Liberty driven by a 32-year-old Joliet man, police said.

Both vehicles were stopped heading north on Essington Road at the red light at Black Road, police said.

The Subaru then rolled over before coming to rest and fire was coming from the engine, the fire department said.

An off-duty Joliet firefighter from Station 5 witnessed the accident and pulled the 73-year-old driver from the vehicle, the fire department said.

She was transported to Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Engine 5 arrived shortly after to extinguish the fire coming out of the engine, the fire department said.

The 53-year-old driver of the Chrysler Pacifica required extrication by fire crews and she and a juvenile passenger were taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A passenger in the Jeep was treated at the scene by paramedics for a minor injury, police said.

The intersection remained closed for several hours while members of the Joliet Police Department Traffic Unit reconstructed the crash scene.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with video footage or additional information related to the crash is urged to contact the Joliet Police Department Traffic Unit at 815-724-3010.