An unusual and tragic incident occurred on the Southwest Side of Chicago when a man was critically injured by an SUV as he emerged from a sewer. The Sun-Times reports that the 57-year-old man, identified as the owner of BP at 6702 S. Pulaski Rd., was struck around 1:40 p.m. Wednesday. Details surrounding why he was in the sewer remain unclear.
The driver, a 26-year-old Chicago woman, was leaving the gas station in her 2014 Jeep Cherokee when she ran over the man. She told police that she had just gotten gas and did not see him as she pulled away from pump 6. According to a statement obtained by the Sun-Times, there were no warning signs or barricades near the open sewer to possibly alert the exiting drivers of the man's presence below.
Paramedics quickly responded, transporting the victim, a Palos Hills resident, to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. NBC Chicago, citing Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford, reports that the man was listed in critical condition on arrival, having suffered multiple fractures. In a statement obtained by NBC Chicago, Langford said the injured man's neck, clavicle, pelvis, and arm were fractured in the accident.
Further investigation by responding officers and firefighters verified that no warning signs were posted at the scene. Firefighters moved quickly to cover the sewer with a manhole cover before police arrived to secure the location. Both children of the injured man were reportedly working at the gas station at the time of his injury, but did not witness the incident. As the Major Accident Investigation Unit continues to look into the situation, police have yet to issue any citations, and there is no indication that the driver was impaired at the time of the accident.
