Early Tuesday morning brought a grim scene to the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, where a collision between an SUV and a semi-truck sent debris flying and left an elderly man seriously injured. At approximately 3:30 a.m., at the 6700 block of South Western Avenue, an SUV, driven by a 31-year-old woman, attempted to make a left turn but was struck by the semi-truck traveling in the opposite direction. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that after the initial impact, the semi-truck, out of control, hit a 66-year-old pedestrian and a nearby bus shelter.
The pedestrian suffered a broken femur and cuts, resulting in his hospitalization at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he is said to be in serious condition. The semi-truck driver, a 35-year-old man, appears to have come out of the crash unscathed, as no injuries were reported on his part. The woman behind the wheel of the SUV sustained only minor injuries and was transported to Holy Cross Hospital, where her condition was described as good. Nevertheless, the aftermath of that early morning fray found her receiving several citations, including failure to reduce speed, failure to yield to a vehicle in the intersection, and disobeying a turn signal indicator. She also had no insurance and was driving with expired plates.
As often is the case with urban collisions, the repercussions ripple beyond those immediately involved. The Chicago Police Department confirmed to WGN-TV that no other injuries were reported; a piece of scant consolation given the severity of the pedestrian's injuries. Information on the condition of the bus shelter has not been released, but such infrastructure, at least, can be rebuilt with relative ease.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
