On behalf of Strom & Associates, Ltd. posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Monday, August 4, 2014.
A multiple-vehicle crash killed a 71-year-old pedestrian and injured five people in Chicago on July 30. One man is facing a charge of reckless homicide as well as several moving violations for his role in the pedestrian accident, which killed a volunteer at a food pantry.
The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m. at the intersection of Sheridan Road and Balmoral Avenue in Edgewater. The driver of a Ford sedan attempted to pass a stopped Chicago Transit Authority bus, ran a red light and crashed into two parked cars, pushing one of them into the bus. The 71-year-old pedestrian was loading groceries into the trunk of his car at the time of the accident and became trapped between the two parked vehicles. He died because of his injuries. Paramedics took one person with serious injuries to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, while three others with minor injuries were transported to Weiss Memorial Hospital.
Witnesses said that the Ford, which was driven by a 58-year-old man, was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash. In addition to the reckless homicide charge, he received citations for reckless driving, disobeying a red signal stop, and failure to reduce speed and stay in lanes. Police held him on $300,000 bail.
When negligent drivers operate their vehicles at high speeds on busy city streets, they place everyone around them, particularly pedestrians, at high risk of serious or fatal injuries. Though it is possible that a negligent driver will receive criminal charges, criminal court proceedings will not provide compensation to the injured victims or families of deceased victims. Personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits filed against the driver could allow eligible individuals to receive settlements from the driver’s insurance provider to aid them in their recoveries.
Source: NBC Chicago, “Bail Set at $300K For Driver Charged in Fatal Edgewater Pedestrian Crash“, August 01, 2014
