Police: Woman killed by wrong-way driver in Lily Lake

An 88-year-old woman was killed after a car went into the wrong lane of traffic on Route 47 in Lily Lake and struck the vehicle she was riding in early Sunday, authorities said.

Kane County sheriff's police said Anita Schwake of Woodstock was pronounced dead at Delnor Hospital in Geneva. Four others in the wreck were taken to local hospitals.

Sheriff's Lt. Pat Gengler said Evan A. Florian, 23, of the 1000 block of Meadow Lane in Sycamore, was driving a 1990 Buick Regal south on Route 47 when he veered into the northbound lane about 1:45 a.m. Sunday. Gengler said Florian struck a 2002 Ford Escape driven by Lawrence Sova, 38, of the 4000 block of Crestwood Street in McHenry.

Florian was ejected from the Buick after impact on Route 47 south of Empire Road. He remained in critical condition Sunday in Delnor's intensive-care unit.

Kane County deputies and an accident reconstruction team are investigating the crash. Gengler said the sheriff's office handles calls for the small town of Lily Lake.

"I cannot go into any evidence that may have been located at the scene as this is an ongoing investigation," Gengler said, "but I can say that anytime we have a crash at this time on a weekend, we always look into the possibility that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. We are too early into this crash to make a determination."

Police said Schwake was in the rear seat behind Sova, who suffered nonlife-threatening injuries and was taken to Provena St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. Two unidentified passengers were extricated from Sova's vehicle by the Elburn Fire Department.

Also taken to Provena St. Joseph were Heather Sova, also of the 4000 block of Crestwood in McHenry, and Nancy McMillan of the 1500 block of North Madison Street in Woodstock. Police said the women's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Gengler said Route 47 was closed on a stretch around Empire Road from 1:45 a.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday.

Sunday's incident was the second fatal crash in less than 24 hours handled by the Kane County Sheriff's Department. It was the third fatal wreck within sheriff's police jurisdiction in the past week.