Deerfield woman critically injured in wrong-way crash near Volo

A 36-year-old Deerfield woman suffered a fractured spine and brain bleeding after the car she was driving Sunday evening near Volo was struck by a wrong-way driver, Lake County authorities said.

According to the Lake County sheriff’s office, the woman was driving a Mitsubishi Outlander south on Route 12 at about 8 p.m. near Russell Avenue when it was struck head-on by a Ford Mustang headed north in the southbound lanes.

Authorities believe the 24-year-old Fox Lake man driving the Ford was likely impaired at the time of the crash. An open alcohol container was found in the vehicle after the collision, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.

A passenger in the Ford, a 23-year-old man, was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and sustained serious injuries, including not being able to feel his legs, sheriff’s police said.

Both drivers and the passenger were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Their conditions are unknown.

No citations have been issued yet. The crash remains under investigation by the sheriff’s office Technical Crash Investigations Team.