Crash kills boy, 10, critically injures twin
By Allison Horton December 13, 2011 12:40AM
Updated: January 14, 2012 8:20AM
A 10-year-old boy was killed and his twin brother critically injured in a crash caused by an alleged intoxicated driver who sped through a red light Monday evening near north suburban Wauconda.
Griffin Shirey of Island Lake was killed in the crash, while his twin brother remains in critical condition at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Their father is in “stable” condition at Good Shepherd Hospital, a release from the Lake County Sheriff’s office said.
The multi-vehicle crash happened about 5:45 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Old McHenry Road and Route 12 in unincorporated Wauconda, police said. The crash involved a Ford Super Duty truck with an open box-type bed, which contained roofing shingles; a Lincoln sedan, a Ford Edge and a Chevrolet Cruze.
The truck, driven by a 29-year-old man from Antioch was traveling north on Route 12 when the southbound Lincoln tried to turn east on Old McHenry. The truck t-boned the Lincoln, both vehicles spun out and the truck flipped over on its side, the sheriff’s office said.
The Edge and the Cruze were slightly hit, but their occupants weren’t injured.
The Lincoln was driven by a 49-year-old Island Lake man and occuped by his 10-year-old twin boys. Police say the Lincoln was involved in “the most traumatic event” in the crash.
The driver of the truck and one of his occupants were taken to Northern Illinois Medical Center in McHenry. All other drivers and passengers refused medical treatment.
Witnesses told police the driver of the truck was speeding and ran the red light on Route 12 before hitting the Lincoln, the release said.
All drivers involved in the crash submitted to a DUI kit. The driver of the truck, who told police he was under the influence of narcotics, was also served with a search warrant in order to get a urine sample. He was then taken to the Waukegan police station for questioning, the release said.
“I cannot imagine the unspeakable grief the Shirey family is undergoing at this moment,” Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said in the release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly painful time.”
Police say accident investiators are “piecing together the events that led up to this tragic accident” and a full review of the case will be conducted by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.
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