Deputy hospitalized after crash

A Lake County sheriff's deputy remained hospitalized Monday after hitting two vehicles on Route 45 while off duty Saturday evening.

The deputy, Paul Wheeler, 29, of Waukegan, is believed to have been suffering from a pre-existing medical condition when he crossed the center line and hit a 2000 Buick sedan and 2007 Dodge Ram pickup truck.

"He has been ticketed for improper lane usage," said Sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Thompson. "Alcohol and drugs were not a factor at all."

Thompson said Wheeler is a four-year department veteran and will return to work when he recovers. Wheeler suffered broken bones in the accident and was in stable condition Monday afternoon.

According to reports, Wheeler was headed north on Route 45, just south of Casey Road in unincorporated Lake County, around 5 p.m. when his Ford Mustang struck the southbound Buick.

Wheeler then hit the pickup head-on, Thompson said.

Wheeler was extricated from the car and taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. The driver of the Buick, a 42-year-old Wildwood woman, and the truck driver, a 27-year-old Wildwood man, were treated and released.