Driver, pedestrian in McHenry fatal crash ID’d

emergency lights

A McHenry man has been cited with traffic offenses in the Wednesday morning crash that killed a 73-year-old McHenry woman.

Matthew Straley, 37, was cited with failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash, failing to yield at a crosswalk and disobeying a traffic control device, McHenry Police public affairs officer Ashley O’Herron said.

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office said in a news release Thursday that Patricia Barnes, 73, of McHenry was the pedestrian killed.

The coroner’s office said it was contacted about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, and an autopsy performed Wednesday preliminarily showed that Barnes died of blunt-force injuries. A toxicology report is pending.

According to the McHenry Township Fire Protection District, first responders were called at 6:38 a.m. to the area of West Elm Street (Route 120) and Oak Drive, where they found Barnes in the roadway. She was taken to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A second patient was treated and released at the scene, McHenry Fire Lt. Chris Kozel said.