Lake Co. cop hurt in Route 41 crash

A Lake County sheriff's deputy is in critical but stable condition after slamming into the rear of a semi-truck on Route 41 early Friday morning, officials said.

Deputy Jon Cashmore, 44, of Wadsworth, was heading north on Route 41 near Hanssen Road in his personal 2000 Chevy Lumina when he struck a 2001 FRHT semi-tractor trailer driven by a 33-year-old Ford Heights man.

Cashmore suffered serious head injuries in the crash, sheriff officials said. He was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

The driver of the semi was not injured, officials said.

It's unclear if the semi was stopped on the road or moving when the accident took place, sheriff officials said. Investigators also await the results of drug and alcohol testing on Cashmore, they said.

Additional details and any citations from the accident will be released after the investigation is concluded.

"The Lake County Sheriff's Office considers itself a family and we are collectively upset by the injuries that Deputy Cashmore sustained in the accident," Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said in a news release. "We ask that you join us in praying for Jon and his family for a speedy recovery."

Cashmore has been a member of the sheriff's office since 1988.