Fox Lake 3-year-old critical after being struck, dragged by car

A 3-year-old Fox Lake girl is hospitalized in critical condition after being struck and dragged 200 feet by a neighbor's car.

Fox Lake Police Lt. Joe Gliniewicz said the toddler was playing along the side of the road in the 0 to 100 block of Arlington Lane about 7 p.m. Tuesday when a red 1999 Dodge pulled out of the driveway across the street and struck her.

The child became wedged under the car, Gliniewicz said, and was dragged before neighbors and others stopped the vehicle.

Initial indications are the girl was sitting on the street curb at the time of the accident, Gliniewicz said. However, because of the way the subdivision was built, the curb is only about 15 feet from the girl's front door.

"That subdivision, in its original state, was nothing but a bunch of summer homes, so it seems like the houses there were built on top of each other and closer to the road than a normal home would be," he said. "With these homes, the driveways are not set back as far as people would consider a normal driveway would be."

The child was pulled from under the car, and Fox Lake police and rescue personnel were called to the scene. She was airlifted to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where she was listed in critical condition after undergoing surgery to her shoulder and head, Gliniewicz said.

She girl is expected to make a full recovery, he added.

Gliniewicz said the girl has been battling medical issues since birth, though he would not divulge the nature of her condition.

The 36-year-old female driver of the Dodge was taken to Centegra Hospital-McHenry suffering from complications from her own pregnancy, Gliniewicz said. After leaving the hospital, she was placed in police custody Wednesday night for an unrelated incident, Gliniewicz said. He would not comment further.

Two teen passengers in the car at the time of the accident were unhurt. Gliniewicz said alcohol is not believed to have played a role in the accident, but it is unclear why the driver and passengers did not know the child had been hit and dragged by the vehicle.

The Major Crash Assistance Team of Lake County is investigating the accident. Charges are pending following the investigation and toxicology test results, he said.