8 People Injured, Including 3-Year-Old, In 3-Vehicle Crash In Fox Lake

FOX LAKE, Ill. (CBS) -- It was a horrible scene in far northwest suburban Fox Lake Sunday afternoon, when a high-speed head-on crash left eight people injured – including a 3-year-old child.

At 12:09 pm., Fox Lake police were called for the three-vehicle crash at U.S. Route 12 and Riverside Island Drive.

A silver Jeep sport-utility vehicle, a black Dodge Utility, and a gray Toyota sedan were involved in the crash.

Police said the gray Toyota was headed north on Route 12, slowing down for a vehicle in front of it that was turning left into a driveway.

The black Dodge was traveling behind the Toyota, and its driver did not realize the Toyota was slowing down.

The Dodge crossed into the southbound lane to avoid hitting the Toyota, and ended up hitting the Jeep head-on as the Jeep headed south on Route 12.

A 3-year-old occupant of the Dodge was rushed to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in a Flight for Life helicopter, police said. A fire official later said the child was hospitalized for precautionary purposes.

Another child was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital in McHenry.

Six others were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with significant, but non-life-threatening injuries. One of them had a broken leg, a fire official said.

The driver and passenger in the Toyota were treated on scene by EMTs from the Fox Lake Fire Protection District and the Wauconda Fire Department, and were not hospitalized.

Route 12 was closed in both directions until about 4:30 p.m.

The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force was investigating late Sunday. Witnesses to the crash should call Fox Lake police at (847) 587-3100.