McHenry County Blog

When I came out of Sam’s Club from more than an hour of downloading and editing pictures, I saw a helicopter in the sky.

It seemed to be hovering somewhere near the Crystal Lake Plaza.

I took a picture of it.

Then, I saw a second copter.

I followed it west until it disappeared behind the Crystal Lake Plaza.

Come to find out, it landed in the parking lot in front of Petco.

It was clear there was a bad accident.

Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars were everywhere.

People were standing across Route 14 from the Coventry Green office complex looking at the accident, but, from where I was taking a photograph of the whirring helicopter, I couldn’t see what it was all about.

Only one lane was open to traffic each way.

As I drove past, I saw an overturned tank truck.

There was also a car on Route 14 at Coventry Lane, which was badly smashed on the front passenger side.

When I got to McHenry Avenue, the policeman directing traffic said that the tanker was filled with latex.

Had it been gasoline, Crystal Lake might have made the national news.

After all, the tank truck lay on its side just across Coventry Lane from a gas station.

Both drivers were airlifted by helicopter to hospitals.

The tank truck was on it side.

The cab was laid open.

No windshield left. Door pretty much gone.

Policemen were examining it.

One was State Policeman Joel Van Buren of the truck enforcement division. I asked if he knew the now-retired Marengo resident Charlie Hamilton and he said Hamilton used to be his boss.

After I picked up my son from school, I drove back so he could see the scene.

We saw what I suspect is the highest ladder the Crystal Lake Fire Department owns, stabilizers holding it steady, ladder extended.

A policeman had climbed up and was taking pictures of the accident.

Note that he has on a safety belt.

“There’s a WGN-TV cameraman,” said my impressed son.

I ran into an acquaintance of old, Tom Kneebone, who does freelance television work. He said Channel 32 hadn’t sent a camera after he took some footage.

Close to 4 in the afternoon, the sun gone and the wind picking up, an empty tanker truck appeared from Houston's Enterprise Transportation Company.

The truck took down the first few letters--"COV"--of the Coventry Green letters, not to mention part of the brick wall.

But, it missed both of the Aaron Shepley for Mayor signs.

And my son saw his Cub Scoutmaster, Brian Karr, in a police uniform for the first time.

“Are you a policeman?” he asked.

“Yes, but I try to keep it quiet,” Karr replied in a confidential tone.

Northwest Herald reporter Regan Foster has more details, including the fact that the company has a Lake in the Hills terminal.

Labels: Coventry Lane, Crystal Lake, Crystal Lake Fire Department, Crystal Lake Police, Enterprise Transportation Company, Helicopter, Route 14, WGN-TV