A 55-year-old woman is in custody following an incident that left two pedestrians injured after she reportedly lost control of her vehicle in Chicago's River North neighborhood on Saturday afternoon. The crash occurred on the 200 block of West Chicago Avenue, near Wells Street, according to Chicago police.
The female driver was said to have hit a 29-year-old woman on the sidewalk and then careened to strike a 58-year-old man outside a gas station. The Chicago Sun-Times reported the driver's out-of-control car took the pedestrians unaware, curtly interrupting what was likely an average city stroll with a sudden rush of chaos and metal.
Both victims were quickly attended to and taken to local hospitals. The younger victim was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, while the older pedestrian received care at Stroger Hospital. The Chicago Sun-Times stated that both were luckily in good condition considering the potential severity of such an incident.
After being treated at Northwestern Hospital and released, the driver was taken into police custody. She is to currently face citations relating to the incident, details of which have not been specified as of yet. The ongoing investigation has yet to reveal publicly the factors that led the driver to so abruptly lose control of her vehicle. ABC 7 Chicago adds that the unsettling event unfolded just before the clock struck 4 p.m., casting a pall on a busy weekend afternoon in the bustling Chicago district.
As the woman remains in custody and the two pedestrians recover from their injuries, the River North community is left to grapple with the sudden reminder of urban life's unpredictable fragility. The Chicago police continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash, and further updates are expected as the case progresses.
