Driver suffers serious injuries after crashing into utility pole near Harvard

A driver suffers life-threatening injuries after crashing into a utility pole early Thursday morning along Route 14 near Harvard, officials reported.

The Harvard Fire Protection District responded to a call at 1:34 a.m. Thursday to the 7800 block of Route 14 near Harvard for a reported car crash. First responders arriving found a single vehicle that had struck a utility pole with “significant damage” and an adult male driver trapped inside, Harvard Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said in a news release.

“A leaning power line created an additional hazard at the scene, prompting immediate coordination with utility officials,” Vucha said in the release. “The force of the impact had peeled back the driver’s side of the vehicle, prompting an urgent extrication.”

Firefighters were able to free the driver within 10 minutes and initiated medical attention. The driver suffered “critical life-threatening injuries,” Vucha said in the release. A medical helicopter and an MD-1 emergency physician response vehicle were both requested. The helicopter flew the driver to Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside in Rockford.

The road was reopened by 4:30 a.m., but ComEd remained in the area to complete repairs on the damaged utility pole, Vucha said.

Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts and the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District assisted at the scene. The Harvard Police Department is investigating the crash, Vucha said in the release.