MCHENRY, McHenry County, Ill., Sept. 15, 2026 — A man believed to be in his early to mid-20s was flown to a trauma center in critical condition after his electric bicycle collided with a pickup truck Monday evening, September 14, on Route 31 in McHenry. The crash shut down the roadway near McCullom Lake Road.
Authorities with the McHenry Township Fire Protection District and McHenry Police Department responded around 8:05 p.m. to the northbound lanes of Route 31, also known as Richmond Road, just north of its intersection with McCullom Lake Road. A fire official said crews arrived to find the man lying in the roadway after reportedly being struck by a white pickup truck while riding an e-bike.
Officials said the man was reportedly ejected roughly 15 to 20 feet from the bike on impact. It remains unclear whether he was riding in the roadway or crossing it at the time of the crash, according to authorities. He was not wearing a helmet, a fire official said.
Paramedics brought the man by ambulance to a helipad at a nearby hospital, where he was transferred to a medical helicopter and flown to a Level 1 trauma center in Libertyville, Illinois. He was reported in critical condition at the time of transport. No injuries were reported to the driver of the pickup truck, authorities said.
The McHenry County Regional Major Crash Assistance Team has been called in to assist local police with the investigation, which remains open. No further details have been released.
We hope those who were hurt recover fully and quickly.
Where E-Bike and Vehicle Crashes Concentrate
Crashes between bicycles, including e-bikes, and motor vehicles tend to cluster on wide, multi-lane roads that carry heavy traffic at higher speeds, especially where those roads cross smaller side streets without a signal or with limited sight lines. A busy state route like the one in this case combines higher speed limits with turning traffic, driveways, and intersecting roads, all of which give a rider and a driver less time to react to each other.
Dusk and early evening hours add another layer of risk. Visibility drops just as commuter and errand traffic peaks, and a bike, even one with lights, can be harder for a driver to pick out against headlights and shadow. Riders crossing a multi-lane road on foot or on a bike face a similar problem from the other direction: judging the speed of an oncoming vehicle in low light is harder than it looks.
E-bikes complicate this further because they travel faster than traditional bicycles, which can throw off a driver’s expectations at an intersection or crossing. Where a driver might expect a cyclist to need several seconds to clear a lane, an e-bike can close that gap much faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should someone do after being involved in a bike or e-bike crash with a vehicle?
Call 911 immediately, avoid moving an injured rider unless there’s an immediate danger, and wait for police and paramedics to document the scene. Even if injuries seem minor at first, a medical evaluation is important because some injuries take hours to show symptoms.
What are common injuries in e-bike and vehicle crashes?
Riders can suffer head and spinal injuries, broken bones, and internal injuries, particularly when they’re thrown from the bike on impact. The severity often depends on speed, whether a helmet was worn, and how far the rider is thrown.
How are these crashes investigated?
Local police typically handle the initial scene, and for crashes with serious injuries, a regional crash reconstruction team may be called in to examine evidence, take measurements, and determine how the collision happened.
What to Do After an E-Bike Crash in McHenry, IL
If you witness or are involved in an e-bike crash, get medical attention right away, even for injuries that seem minor. Adrenaline can mask pain, and some injuries, like concussions or internal bleeding, aren’t obvious right after a crash.
Be sure to document what you can safely observe, including the position of the vehicles, any visible damage, and weather or lighting conditions. If you’re a bystander, staying with an injured person until paramedics arrive and giving them accurate information can make a real difference. You should follow up with your own doctor in the days after the crash if you were involved, even if you were cleared at the scene.
