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Vernon Township woman lucky to walk away from Long Grove crash

A Vernon Township woman said she was lucky to walk away from a Long Grove traffic crash with only a few bumps and bruises after she was hit head-on by a 2004 Jeep last week.

The Jeep's driver, a 78-year-old woman, was killed in the Jan. 4 crash.

Nancy Taylor said she was driving south on Route 83, just north of Route 22, when a Jeep traveling in the opposite direction drove up on the curb, crossed the median, went airborne, and slammed into her 2015 Subaru about 11:15 p.m.

Every air bag in the Subaru deployed, Taylor said. The air bags protected her and her dog “Chewy” from serious injuries.

“The dog and I walked away from that crash stiff and sore, but without a scratch,” she said in an email.

Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper identified the deceased driver of the Jeep as Elaine McGovern, of Arlington Heights.

Cooper said McGovern died of multiple traumatic injuries as a result of the crash. Toxicology results are pending, he said.

Authorities initially said the preliminary investigation of the crash showed the Jeep driven was traveling north on Route 83 when the driver lost control due to an unknown reason. The vehicle crossed the median and struck the 2015 Subaru.

McGovern was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the Jeep. She was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Police initially said McGovern was behind the wheel of the Subaru and Taylor was driving the Jeep. But, authorities corrected that information early Monday morning and said Taylor was driving the Subaru and McGovern was in the Jeep.

Taylor was transported from the scene to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington with nonlife threatening injuries, authorities said.

The Long Grove Fire Protection District and Lake County Sheriff's Technical Crash Investigations Unit were also involved in the investigation and cleanup.

Arlington Heights woman killed in late-night Long Grove crash

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