Harvard firefighters and paramedics, MD-1, Metra police and McHenry County Sheriff’s deputies responded about 2:24 a.m. Thursday, August 28, 2025 to a report of a vehicle vs train crash with explosion to the McGuire Road railroad near Irish Lane northwest of the crossing at the Northwest line of the Union Pacific railroad. Initially, firefighters were unable to locate the crash because the wreckage was beyond a curve on the railroad tracks about one-quarter mile north of the given railroad crossing address. The address was updated to three-quarter mile northwest of the McGuire Road crossing between McGuire Road and Schultz Road. Fire crews could see a train light visible from Schultz Road, but crews at the McGuire Road crossing couldn’t see any indication of a crash.
MD-1 is Mercyhealth’s Mobile Duplex-1 team – a highly specialized medical unit with emergency medical service that responds to serious incidents, such as crashes, in McHenry County and the surrounding region.
Firefighters arrived to find the vehicle approximately one-quarter mile north of the McGuire Road crossing on the southbound tracks, fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters found the burning vehicle before they found the train. Next, they learned that the driver or occupants were possibly ejected because there were no crash victims near the burning wreckage. An adult male driver was located about 20 feet down from the railroad tracks in a nearby ravine. No other passengers were located.
There are two railroad tracks in this area. The train was located southeast of the burning vehicle. Train traffic was blocked in both directions, and included Metra passenger train delays.
The driver was conscious and talking. The fire department release did not indicate whether the driver was ejected in the crash, or whether he moved himself down the ravine to get away from the burning wreckage.
In the pouring rain, firefighters and paramedics brought the driver up from the ravine and transported him to an awaiting ambulance. He was transported to a Rockford hospital with serious injuries, according to Harvard Fire Protection District.
Fire crews remained on scene to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and cooled before railroad removal companies began their work. A railroad track inspector was also assigned to the scene.
According to the Harvard Fire Protection District, the train involved in the crash was a northbound freight train with five cars in a mixed consist (a specific group of cars and locomotives that make up a train), which contained no hazardous materials. There was no train derailment related to the incident. No injuries were reported to the train crew.
The roadway reopened around 5:30 a.m., though delays are expected on the Metra Northwest Line. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office notified the community at 2:56 a.m. that McGuire Road was closed from King Road to Irish Lane. The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office notified the community at 5:39 a.m that McGuire Road was re-opened from King Road to Irish Lane, but “heavy police presence” was in the area.
The Metra Police Department is investigating the crash. Initial reports indicate the driver of the vehicle was driving on the railroad tracks when the vehicle was struck by the train. The crash scene was located east of downtown Harvard, between Harvard and Woodstock, Illinois.
McGuire Road Crossing …
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