Driver injured after car jumps curbs, careens into Fox Lake apartment building

A 77-year-old woman was injured Monday when a car she was driving slammed into and knocked down a brace supporting balconies at a Fox Lake apartment building for seniors.

Deputy Chief Ed Lescher of the Fox Lake Fire Protection District said the driver's four-door sedan jumped the curb just before 9:30 a.m. and drove about 10 feet over grass and bushes into the wooden support at the Thomas Place - Fox Lake on the 200 block of Thomas Lane.

The support held up second-, third- and fourth-floor balconies, Lescher said. The vehicle also took out a brick stoop on the ground level and dented the siding and wall of the building.

Fox Lake Police Chief Jimmy Lee said the driver, a Thomas Place resident, reported that the car accelerated for an unknown reason. No citations have been issued at this time, Lee said, and the crash remains under investigation.

The driver was taken to a hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries, Lescher said.

Residents in about 12 apartments were evacuated to another portion of the facility for about two hours, he added. They were allowed to return to their homes about 11:30 a.m.

Fire officials called in the Lake and McHenry County Specialized Response Team to assist. The team braced the balconies while the vehicle was removed from the site, then added more supports to ensure the structure would not fall, Lescher said.

"The structural team were confident when they left the structure would remain up until it can be repaired," he said.

The property management company plans to have a construction company return to the scene to repair the damage in the coming days, Lescher said.