Six people were injured Friday night when a driver ran a red light and slammed into another vehicle on Garfield Boulevard near Wood Street in Back of the Yards, Chicago police said. All five occupants of the first vehicle and the driver of the second car were hurt in the crash, which happened around 7:21 p.m.
According to ABC7 Chicago, investigators determined that a driver ran a red light and struck another vehicle at the intersection. All six people who were hurt were listed in fair condition, and police said the driver found responsible for the crash will be cited.
What Investigators Have Said So Far
Police have not released further details about the citation or the identities of those involved, and the station's report does not specify which vehicle carried the driver who ran the light. The crash left both cars' occupants with injuries serious enough to warrant treatment, though officials have not described the extent of those injuries beyond noting their fair condition.
Back of the Yards has seen other high-profile crashes in recent months. In August, a driver ran a stop sign and hit another car and a building at 50th and Racine before fleeing the scene, according to ABC7 Chicago. In 2023, a woman allegedly ran a red light and collided with another driver in the same neighborhood, sending two people to the hospital, per Fox 32 Chicago.
A Citywide Traffic Safety Problem
The Friday night crash adds to a string of serious collisions in Back of the Yards, though the available comparisons do not establish any broader trend at this specific intersection or citywide. Chicago logged 109 road deaths in 2024 — 38 pedestrians, two cyclists and 69 people in vehicles — according to a Chicago Sun-Times report examining the city's stalled Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths.
The city maintains monthly fatal crash reports and underlying datasets used by its transportation department, which are available through the city's Data Resources page, according to the City of Chicago. No additional information about hospital names, specific injuries or potential property damage from Friday's crash has been released.
