Elgin woman critically injured in four-vehicle crash

A four-vehicle crash in Elgin Sunday night sent a 55-year-old woman to the hospital and closed an east-side intersection for 7½ hours while police investigated, officials said. The woman remained in critical condition as of Monday, police said.

According to police, Daniela Manea, 55, of Elgin, was turning onto eastbound Summit Street from Shady Oaks Drive in a 2007 Kia Rio at about 8 p.m., when a 2006 Dodge Charger heading west on Summit Street, hit the Kia, police said.

After that crash, a 2004 Infiniti G35 hit the Dodge, and the Dodge crossed over into the eastbound lanes of Summit Street and hit a 2001 Infiniti QXF, police said. The impact from that crash forced the Dodge back into the westbound lanes of Summit Street, where it struck the Infiniti G35 a second time, police said.

Manea was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center while the other three drivers and five passengers were treated and released on the scene or taken to area hospitals with nonlife threatening injuries, Cmdr. Dan O’Shea said.

No one was cited in the crash, O’Shea said.

The driver of the Charger was a 22-year-old Elgin man, the driver of the Infiniti G35 was a 28-year-old man from Elgin and the driver of the Infiniti QX4 was a 19-year-old Elgin woman, police said.

Summit Street between Shady Oaks and Waverly drives was shut down while police looked into the crash — its cause is still unknown.

“There’s no indication of drugs or alcohol at this point, but again, they’re still investigating,” O’Shea said.