Four hurt in five-car pile up near routes 132 and 45 in Lake County

A bizarre series of accidents that involved seven vehicles over a half-mile stretch of Route 45 left four people hurt, including one with serious injuries, Lake County sheriff's officials said Friday.

The accident string began at 11 a.m. when the 2004 Subaru Outback driven by William Michaelson, 87, of Delavan, Wis., struck a Chevrolet Cavalier at Rollins Road, and ended at Grand Avenue when his car ran a red light and was hit by an eastbound Jeep Liberty, police said.

Sgt. Christopher Thompson said the sheriff's office is trying to determine if Michaelson had a medical issue that was a factor in the accidents. He said drugs and alcohol were not involved.

"Our investigators are working hard to determine what happened with Mr. Michaelson in regards to this unusual accident," Thompson said.

Michaelson was heading north on Route 45 when his Subaru struck the Cavalier driven by a 19-year-old Lindenhurst man stopped at Rollins Road. The Chevy hit the rear of a 2006 Porche Cayenne, driven by a 57-year-old Long Grove woman. Both drivers were treated at the scene and released.

Michaelson continued north until his car rammed a 1998 Buick Regal stopped at the Grand Avenue intersection, Thompson said. That triggered a chain reaction involving a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer and a 2005 Toyota Corolla.

The Regal was driven by Nicholas C. Campbell 20, of Lake Villa, who suffered serious injuries and was flown to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. Campbell was in stable condition Friday, Thompson said.

The 20-year-old Lindenhurst man driving the Mercury was treated and released. The 17-year-old Lake Villa girl driving the Toyota was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with minor injuries, Thompson said.

The Subaru continued moving until it ran the red light at Grand and was hit in the side by the 2002 Jeep Liberty, Thompson said. The Liberty was driven by a 33-year-old Lindenhurst woman, who was taken to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan with nonlife-threatening injuries.

Rescue crews had to extract Michaelson from his vehicle, but no details about his injuries were available.

He was cited with two counts of failure to reduce speed to avoid accident, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid and information in an accident, disobeying a traffic control device, and not wearing a seat belt, Thompson said.

Accident: Driver faces several charges