A major vehicular accident in Arlington Heights has resulted in critical injuries for one driver and numerous others receiving varying degrees of harm on Saturday afternoon. The collision occurred just before 4:30 p.m. at the busy intersection of Lake Cook Road and Bloomington Avenue, with officials closing the road for several hours to address the aftermath.
NBC Chicago reported that an eastbound dark gray BMW M340i was exceeding the speed limit when it struck a brown 2002 Jeep Cherokee which was pulling forward from a stop sign. The impact was so severe that it caused the Jeep to roll over multiple times, eventually coming to rest in an westbound lanes.
The 69-year-old driver of the Jeep, a Des Plaines resident, had to be extracted by fire officials and received critical lifesaving treatment on the scene before being rushed to Lutheran General Hospital. His injuries have been described as life-threatening by the Arlington Heights Police Department.
The 18-year-old driver of the BMW from Deer Park and two teenage passengers were evaluated on the spot by paramedics but opted against further care, according to FOX 32 Chicago. They were met by family members and later sought medical evaluation independently. A third passenger, however, was hospitalized with injuries deemed non-life-threatening by the Palatine Fire Department.
As the investigation into the cause of the collision by Arlington Heights police and the Major Case Assistance Team – Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction unit continues, Lake Cook Road had remained closed from east of Route 53 to Wilke Road well into the evening. Updates will be provided as new information regarding this serious incident becomes available.
