Medical emergency causes chain-reaction crash near Woodfield Mall

A driver's medical emergency started what was ultimately a seven-vehicle collision Friday afternoon on westbound Golf Road by Woodfield Mall, though only the first driver required transport to a hospital.

The collision, which required a police officer to extinguish a fire in the original vehicle, was reported at 2:01 p.m. on Golf Road at Middle Drive.

The male driver experiencing the medical emergency initially struck one other westbound vehicle and then a squad car. As westbound traffic was stopped, the striking of the squad car caused a chain reaction that involved a total of seven vehicles, police said.

The roadway was clear and traffic flowing normally again within two hours after the collision. Only vehicles on westbound Golf Road had been involved in the crash.

The condition of the hospitalized driver was not immediately available Friday afternoon.