Elgin man faces DUI charge in motorcycle crash

A motorcyclist from Elgin is facing a driving under the influence charge in connection with a crash that injured him and a passenger Sunday near Woodstock.

The Harley-Davidson motorcycle, driven by 56-year-old Terrance M. Gospodarek, was traveling east on Garden Valley Road just before 2:15 p.m. when it left the roadway on a curve and went into a ditch, according to a news release from the McHenry County sheriff's office.

Gospodarek and his passenger, a 47-year-old Elgin woman, were ejected from the motorcycle as it overturned, officials said. Neither was wearing a helmet.

Gospodarek was taken by a Flight for Life helicopter to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford and is in stable condition. The passenger was taken by a Flight for Life helicopter to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where she remained in serious condition Monday, officials said.

Gospodarek was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, officials said, and additional charges are pending. Authorities don't believe speed was a factor in the crash.

The McHenry County sheriff's office Traffic Crash Investigation Unit is investigating.