3-vehicle crash on Rt. 38 leaves 1 dead, 1 injured

One person died and another was injured after a crash involving three vehicles occurred around 5:30 p.m. Friday at Route 38 and Meredith Road in Virgil Township.

Names were withheld Friday evening so families of the victims could be notified.

According to Kane County sheriff's police, the two were occupants of a Toyota Corolla heading north on Meredith Road when the car was struck in the intersection by a Mitsubishi Gallant heading east on Route 38.

Sarah Wade, 34, of Elgin, who was driving the Mitsubishi, told police she swerved to avoid striking the Toyota, but she swerved back into the eastbound lane of traffic. The passenger side of her vehicle made contact with the front of the Toyota. Wade was treated and released at the scene.

A 2001 Freightliner semitrailer truck traveling east on Route 38 was unable to stop and struck the driver's side of the Toyota. The truck was driven by Dawn Banach, 50, of Fennville, Mich., who was treated and released at the scene.

The driver of the Toyota was taken by helicopter to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, and died at the hospital.

The passenger in the Toyota was transporter by ambulance to Delnor-Community Hospital in critical condition.

Kane County sheriff's police are still investigating. Lt. Pat Gengler of the sheriff's police said that drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor.

The intersection was the scene of a deadly crash involving two St. Charles police officers last July.

Vaughn Olson and Michael Griesbaum were injured when Griesbaum was driving a minivan west on Route 38 and struck a Ford Taurus heading east on Route 38 in a near head-on collision. Olson died later of complications from his injuries. Two other people were injured.

The intersection is controlled by stop signs for north and south traveling traffic on Meredith Road, but there are no stop signs on Route 38.