A 64-year-old Humboldt Park architecture tour guide is facing a long rehabilitation after a driver struck him head-on on his birthday, leaving him with 34 broken bones. Jim Collins has undergone five surgeries and remains hospitalized, while friends have raised more than $38,000 to help cover the costs of his recovery.
The crash happened June 6 at Oakley Boulevard and Lake Street as Collins was returning home from his job with Shoreline Sightseeing, where he has worked for 12 years. He had planned to celebrate his birthday with hot dogs at Johnnie's Beef in Elmwood Park, but instead has spent weeks recovering from the crash, according to Block Club Chicago. The driver was ticketed for failing to yield and slow down, and officials said the vehicle was uninsured.
Collins has been one of the familiar voices explaining Chicago's skyline to visitors. A 2017 report by CBS Chicago identified him as a Shoreline docent and described the company's architecture cruises as a blend of education and entertainment.
Recovery Will Include Learning To Walk Again
Collins was placed in an induced coma for three weeks and has nerve damage affecting the right side of his arm, but his wife, Marilyn Collins, said he has no brain damage or spinal injuries. He recently stood for the first time since the crash, though he is expected to use a wheelchair after leaving the hospital and may remain hospitalized for about another month, as detailed by Block Club Chicago.
Uninsured Driver Adds To Family's Financial Pressure
The fundraiser is intended to help pay Collins' medical bills, possible home relocation, and in-home care. His family may need to move from a third-floor condo to an accessible home or a stair-free apartment, adding a major practical challenge to an already difficult recovery.
Illinois requires most vehicle owners to carry liability insurance, and the Illinois Department of Insurance says uninsured-motorist bodily injury coverage can help when an at-fault driver has no auto liability insurance. For Collins' family, however, the immediate focus is more basic: getting him through the next surgeries, rebuilding his mobility and finding a safe place for him to return home.
The campaign had passed $38,000 toward a $40,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon. Collins' friends and coworkers are now helping carry the financial load while he works through the slow, unglamorous business of healing—and tries to get back to the Chicago architecture tours that have been waiting for him.
