5 Children Among 7 Killed In Fiery McHenry County Crash

HAMPSHIRE, IL — A fiery crash killed seven people, including five children, in the early morning hours Sunday in McHenry County, police said.

The incident occurred at about 2 a.m. near Milepost 33.5 of westbound Interstate 90 in Hampshire, according to police. A van and passenger vehicle crashed head-on and both became fully engulfed in flames, police said.

One person was airlifted to a hospital with severe injuries, according to police. A woman and five children who had been traveling in the van died, as did a woman who had been in the passenger vehicle, police said.

Authorities initially received information indicating the van was going the wrong way on Interstate 90 at the time of the collision but that has not been confirmed, according to Illinois State Police. Police are continuing to investigate the crash.

All westbound lanes were closed in the area, with traffic diverted to Anthony Road, but lanes have since been reopened, according to police.

This is a developing story. Check back to Patch.com for more updates.