A driver has been charged with hiding cannabis in his underwear after allegedly driving drugged and running a stop sign, causing a crash that left a man critically injured near Marengo.

Bruce A. Scott, 70, of Huntley, was charged with aggravated driving under the influence causing a crash with great bodily harm, obstructing justice and driving under the influence of drugs.

The charges stem from a crash that occurred around 7:59 a.m. on April 1, prompting the response of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts and Union Fire Protection District at North Union Road and Route 176 in Seneca Township, which is located east of Marengo and north of Union.

First arriving emergency crews found a two-vehicle crash with heavy damage, according to Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.

Both vehicles, a 2024 Lexus LX600 and a 2021 GMC pickup truck, had come to rest off the roadway in the northwest ditch, according to the sheriff’s office.

The driver of the GMC, a 57-year-old Woodstock man, was found unconscious and heavily entrapped in his vehicle.

Vucha said a second ambulance and a heavy rescue squad were requested to assist with the prolonged extrication efforts.

A LifeNet medical helicopter was called to the scene due to the severity of the driver’s injuries and landed in a nearby field.

The flight crew joined ground personnel during the extrication, providing advanced medical care and working alongside firefighters to stabilize the man while he remained trapped, Vucha said.

The 57-year-old driver was successfully removed from the vehicle in approximately 60 minutes and transferred to the awaiting helicopter.

Vucha said the driver at the time of transport was believed to have suffered critical injuries and was airlifted to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for additional treatment.

The sheriff’s office said he was listed in serious but stable condition at the hospital.

Scott, the driver of the Lexus, was transported by ambulance to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital with moderate injuries.

Both drivers were the sole occupants of their vehicles.

The sheriff’s office said a preliminary investigation showed Scott was driving the Lexus northbound on North Union Road.

The GMC was traveling westbound on Route 176 and Scott failed to stop for the stop sign, sheriff’s officials said.

The Lexus entered the intersection, causing the two vehicles to collide.

“Illinois Route 176 is not a controlled intersection at this location and traffic on Union Road is controlled by clearly posted stop signs,” the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators shut down the intersection for several hours while the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Major Traffic Crash Investigation Unit responded.

Scott was charged on October 10 and an arrest warrant was issued for him, court records show. He was taken into custody earlier this week at the McHenry County Jail.

A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Scott caused the crash while driving under the influence of a drug or a combination of drugs.

The complaint also said he concealed physical evidence, being cannabis, in his underwear to avoid detection.

Scott was released from the McHenry County Jail with pre-trial conditions following a court hearing on Friday.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on January 6.