How did a driver end up going the wrong way on I-90, causing crash that killed six in McHenry County?
RILEY, Ill. (CBS) -- A woman and five children were killed in a fiery crash on Interstate 90 in rural McHenry County over the weekend, and authorities said a wrong-way driver was to blame.
So how did the 22-year-old woman – who was also killed – end up driving the wrong way on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway?
The Illinois Secretary of State's office said the women, Jennifer Fernandez of Carpentersville, had a valid driver's license and no offenses on her record.
We asked Illinois State Police how Fernandez ended up driving east in the westbound lanes and how long she was driving in the wrong direction on Sunday morning.
The tragic, fiery fatal crash happened at approximately 2:11 a.m. on westbound I-90 near mile marker 33.5 and the rural community of Riley.
A spokesperson told CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey this is still a very much active investigation, and they can't give us any more specifics at this time.
Overall, wrong-way accidents are rare in Illinois, but they are often deadly.
In 2019 - the last year for which we have complete data - there were 95 wrong-way crashes statewide, and 11 of those were fatal.
That is the same year that Illinois lawmakers made driving the wrong way on any roadway an aggravating factor in sentencing for a driving under the influence conviction.
Now as for whether the driver in this case was under the influence in any way, Hickey spoke to the McHenry County Coroner. He said any follow-up reports will not be released until a final medical examiner's report is complete, which will take about three months.
We will, of course, keep following up.
