A two-car crash near the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Simpson Street in Evanston left one vehicle overturned Friday, trapping a driver underneath and prompting a large emergency response that shut down a stretch of the street. The Evanston Police Department is investigating the crash, and officers advised residents to avoid the area while crews worked the scene.
According to The Daily Northwestern, the Evanston Fire Department dispatched six vehicles and two ambulances to the scene after the two-car accident was reported. Sherman Avenue was temporarily closed between Foster Street and Simpson Street as emergency vehicles surrounded the overturned car, per the same report.
Driver Freed After Airbag Lift
An Evanston Fire Department dispatcher said the trapped individual was conscious and breathing, though a first responder on scene reported the person was unconscious with only a faint pulse, the outlet's report notes — a discrepancy the paper did not resolve. An incident commander said advanced life support, used during severe and life-threatening emergencies, began at about 6:35 p.m., before rescuers used an airbag to lift the car at about 6:44 p.m.
Rescuers used an airbag to lift the car off the individual, and the incident commander reported the person had been successfully removed from beneath the vehicle. Two ambulances then departed the scene for Evanston Hospital, the station's report states. The overturned car remained on Sherman Avenue as the investigation continued.
Why a Niles Squad Car Was at the Scene
Among the emergency vehicles at the scene was a Niles Police Department vehicle, according to the Daily Northwestern's report — a detail explained by the regional structure of the agency now assisting Evanston investigators. EPD said its investigation is ongoing in collaboration with the Major Crash Assistance Team, which investigates severe car accidents across northern Illinois.
That team operates under the North Regional Major Crimes Task Force, known as NORTAF, which pools accident reconstruction resources from 12 northern Illinois municipalities including Evanston, Niles, Skokie, Glenview, and Wilmette, according to the City of Evanston. Evanston Police Sergeant Dan Keeler serves as the unit's Operations Supervisor, leading a team whose members hold state certification as accident reconstruction specialists and evidence technicians, per IATAI.
Trauma Care Close By
The ambulances carrying the injured individual headed for Evanston Hospital, which the Endeavor Health system notes is designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health as a Level I Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center, equipped for 24/7 advanced life support and emergency critical care.
Evanston Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment, the Daily Northwestern reported. The Evanston Police Department's Traffic Bureau, which normally handles municipal traffic enforcement and local collision investigations with six officers under a sergeant, typically manages initial response before a case like this one escalates to the regional task force, according to the City of Evanston.
MCAT Assistance in Skokie
NORTAF MCAT assisted with a fatal motorcycle crash on Touhy Avenue in Skokie in June.
Under the Illinois Vehicle Code, agencies investigating crashes are required to submit formal reports to the Illinois Department of Transportation within 10 days of completing their investigation, per the Illinois Department of Transportation.
