Man Dies Days After Crash Near McHenry

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — A 39-year-old Oregon man has died following a collision near McHenry that happened last week.

Nathan Russell, of Jacksonville, Oregon, died Sunday in the intensive care unit at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

Russell, who has family ties to the Island Lake area, was driving a 1996 Ford Club Wagon van north on River Road at about 7:20 a.m. when the van collided with a southbound 2010 Honda Element, according to a news release from the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

The Ford was attempting to pass a vehicle in a "no passing" zone in the 1500 block of River Road in unincorporated McHenry — near the entrance to Moraine Hills State Park — when the collision occurred, authorities said.

Russell was ejected from the vehicle. He was taken to Northwestern Hospital in McHenry and then flown to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville with injuries that are considered life-threatening, police said.

"On Sunday, February 4, 2024, the Lake County Coroner’s Office was notified that, despite care and treatment, the driver succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased in the intensive care unit," according to a news release from the coroner's office.

An autopsy revealed Russell died from blunt force injuries, according to a news release from the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Russell was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash and there were no airbags that deployed, according to authorities.

The driver of the Honda, a 53-year-old McHenry woman, was taken to Northwestern Hospital in McHenry where she was listed in serious but stable condition following the crash. She was wearing a seatbelt and airbags were deployed.

The investigation is ongoing and is being investigated by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit.