Driver injured when boat crashes at 120 mph during Blarney Island races

A Wisconsin man was injured Thursday night after being thrown from a speed boat traveling faster than 120 mph during the Blarney Island boat races on Grass Lake, authorities said.

Officials said the preliminary investigation shows a 17-foot Rodek boat, operated by a 59-year-old Bristol, Wisconsin man, hit a possible wake in the water, causing it to roll several times and ejecting the driver.

The man was wearing a personal flotation device and helmet, authorities said. He initially was unconscious before being pulled from the water by rescue personnel monitoring the races. He regained consciousness when transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, authorities said.

The driver remains hospitalized with injuries believed to be nonlife-threatening, authorities said.

The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit.

Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Covelli said this is the first time in more than two years that a boat flipped over and a person was injured during the weekly Blarney Island boat races.

He said a watercraft sank in Grass Lake last year, but the sinking took place after an engine caused a rupture to the hull of a boat. The driver was not injured.

The Northern Illinois Drag Boat Association, which sponsors the races at Blarney's Island, contracts with the sheriff's office to attend the weekly event. The association also contracts with off-duty medical personnel to be present for all races.

Covelli said drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol prior to the races.