Three severely injured in Elgin crash on Rt. 31

Three people were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash that shut down a stretch of Route 31 in Elgin for more than three hours Tuesday.

Police say the 27-year-old driver of a small SUV headed southbound on Route 31 was distracted and lost control of her vehicle just south of Interstate 90.

The vehicle crossed over the concrete median and struck a northbound pickup truck head-on just before 5 p.m.

Emily Nufer, of the 6800 block of Concord Lane in Niles, the 21-year-old Marengo man driving the pickup truck and his 27-year-old passenger from Elgin were all severely injured in the crash, said Elgin Police Cmdr. Glenn Theriault.

“We believe distracted driving was the cause of this crash,” Theriault said.

Paramedics transported the victims to Sherman Hospital, but all three were later transferred to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to police.

Theriault said although the injuries were severe, none were believed to be life-threatening.

Elgin Fire Department Batallion Chief Timothy Michaels said all three victims were conscious at the scene.

Police shut down the northbound lanes of Route 31 between Big Timber Road and I-90 until 7:15 p.m. as investigators with the accident reconstruction team took measurements.

“We believe distracted driving was the cause of this crash,” Theriault said.

Nufer, the driver of the SUV, was cited with failure to reduce speed.

Fire officials initially called for assistance from neighboring departments to help extricate the victims from the vehicles, but were able to open the doors by hand despite the heavy damage.