Category: Pedestrian Accidents

There are a significant number of Cook County pedestrian accidents that happen as the pedestrian is walking in a crosswalk.  While, in theory, a crosswalk should allow a person to safely walk across the street, for many reasons the safe passage of the pedestrian may not occur.  Driver distraction, as well as other factors such as the driver “not seeing” the person walking across the street, can contribute to the possibility that the pedestrian will be hit by the vehicle.

Various aspects of the possibility of a person being hit while they walk in a crosswalk – as well as statistics concerning accidents that occur in crosswalks – are further discussed on the “Chicago Pedestrian Accidents That Happen While The Person Is Walking In A Crosswalk” and “Safety Concerns Posed By People Attempting To Walk In Crosswalks” posts.

As often discussed on this site – and as seen in the pedestrian accidents that have been summarized – when a person is hit by a vehicle it often is highly physically traumatic for the pedestrian, and the collision can lead to a range of serious accident injuries.  In many instances such injuries have led to the death of the pedestrian.

There was a fatal Chicago pedestrian accident Sunday (September 16, 2018) afternoon in Chicago’s Scottsdale neighborhood.  The accident occurred as a woman was walking in a crosswalk.

According to information provided by Chicago Police, and summarized in various media sources including the September 19, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Woman, 87, fatally struck in crosswalk on South Side”  – the accident happened in the 8300 block of South Tripp.  At approximately 1:50 p.m., a 75-year-old male driver who was driving northbound struck the woman.

The woman hit was identified as Alvina Santillan, 87.  An excerpt from the Sun-Times article:

Santillan was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she died the following day, authorities said. An autopsy Wednesday found she died from a head injury she suffered in the crash and her death was ruled an accident. She lived about a block away from where she was struck.

Police said the driver remained at the scene after hitting Santillan and has not been charged or issued citations.

Additional details and discussion regarding these pedestrian accidents that happen while the person is walking in a crosswalk can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Various aspects of Cook County pedestrian accidents – including what to do if you are hit by a vehicle – are further discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

Pedestrian safety continues to be a substantial traffic safety concern.  As seen in Chicago area pedestrian accidents, many of which have been summarized on this site, when someone has been hit by a vehicle a range of serious accident injuries can result from the collision.  In many cases these injuries are life-threatening in nature and many have led to the death of the pedestrian.

After pedestrian accidents, lawsuits are often filed in instances where the motorist was at fault.  While there are many reasons why personal injury lawsuits may be filed, one of the primary reasons is that those injured seek to recover medical costs and other expenses that have been incurred due to the accident injuries.  In an accident leading to a fatality, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed.

Recently there have been incidents in which pedestrians have been hit in Chicago.  One was a fatal pedestrian accident in the Belmont Terrace neighborhood.  Another was a pedestrian accident in the Cragin neighborhood in which a 4-year-old boy suffered various injuries including a fractured skull.

According to Chicago Police, the collision which involved the boy occurred on Wednesday (June 6, 2018) evening in the 5000 block of West Montana Street.  In this accident the boy was in critical condition, and was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital for treatment of his fractured skull and other injuries.  The accident is further discussed in the June 6, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “4-year-old boy struck by vehicle, seriously injured in Cragin.”

According to Chicago Police, the fatal pedestrian accident in the Belmont Terrace neighborhood happened early Tuesday (June 5, 2018) evening.  Details on this accident appear limited.  However, the accident happened in the 8300 block of West Belmont.  The man who was struck was identified as Paul J. Gunia, 61.  He died from his accident injuries the next day.  The accident is discussed in the June 11, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Pedestrian fatally struck by vehicle on Northwest Side.”

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Accidents often happen during and after a police chase.  Many times, the vehicle being pursued is traveling at unsafe speeds and in a reckless manner as the driver attempts to flee from police.  There have been many Chicago accidents which have occurred that have involved drivers attempting to elude police.

There was another instance of such a crash happening in the Chicago area on Thursday (May 10, 2018) evening.  In this instance, one pedestrian was fatally struck by a speeding car and another pedestrian was injured by the same car.   At the time of the accidents, the car was attempting to flee from Chicago Police during a traffic stop.

According to Chicago Police, the fatal pedestrian accident happened on Chicago’s South Side, at 79th Street and Lafayette. The woman who was killed was identified as the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as Julia Callaway, 55, of Chicago.

In addition to Julia Callaway being hit by the car, a 30-year-old man was also hit at the same intersection.  He received medical treatment at the accident scene.

At the time of the collision, the car was reportedly traveling at a high speed, with some media accounts saying the car was going 80 mph.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Chicago pedestrian accident that involved a police chase can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the May 11, 2018 abc7chicago.com article (with video) titled “Woman killed in South Side chase, crash was picking up granddaughter from daycare, husband says” as well as the May 10 CBS Chicago article (with video) titled “1 Pedestrian Injured, 1 Dead In Traffic Crash.”

Pedestrian accidents continue occur in the Chicago area on a regular basis.   Pedestrian accidents are particularly notable as the person hit usually is hurt, and there is a wide range of seriously injuries that can result.  As seen in various individual pedestrian accidents summarized on this site, many of these injuries become life-threatening in nature, and some prove to be fatal.

Various aspects of Cook County pedestrian accidents – including what to do if you are hit by a vehicle – are further discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

A man was struck by a vehicle on Friday (March 2, 2018) in the Austin Neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, and was critically injured.

Details on the accident appear to be limited at this time.  However, the man struck was 51 years old.

An excerpt regarding the accident, as seen in the March 2, 2018 Chicago Tribune article titled “Pedestrian in critical condition after being struck on West Side“:

Details were scarce, but the man was hit shortly after 2:05 p.m. near Lamon and Chicago avenues in the Austin Neighborhood, according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, he said.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Chicago pedestrian accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above.

There was a pedestrian accident Tuesday (February 20, 2018) in Winnetka.  The accident involved a woman being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Green Bay Road and Elm Street.

According to Winnetka Police, the accident happened at 6:00 p.m.  At the time of the crash, the pedestrian, a 55-year-old woman, was crossing the street.  She was then struck by the vehicle driven by a 62-year-old man from Glencoe.

The woman suffered injuries that were described as serious injuries, and she was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

The accident remains under investigation.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this pedestrian accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Daily North Shore article of February 22, 2018 titled “Woman Injured in Winnetka Crash.”

On this site, accidents in which people have been hit by vehicles are summarized in posts under the “Pedestrian Accidents” category.  Additionally, the broader subject of pedestrian accidents – as well as what to do if you have been hit by a vehicle – are discussed on the following two pages:

“Cook County Pedestrian Accidents”

“Chicago Pedestrian Accidents”

As well, because many serious pedestrian accidents occur while people are walking “with the light” in crosswalks, this subject is discussed on the “Accidents That Happen Within Crosswalks” page.

As discussed on those pages, it is common for those who are hit by vehicles to suffer serious if not life-threatening accident injuries.  Due to the severity of the accident injuries, as well as the possibility of injuries occurring that may not be immediately apparent, it is very important to have a thorough medical exam as soon as possible after being in an accident.  Injuries that may occur that may not be immediately apparent include traumatic brain injuries (TBI) as well as internal bleeding.

Additional information concerning these injury topics can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

There was an accident involving a woman who was hit by a car in Glenview on Saturday morning (November 25, 2017).  At the time of the accident the woman was standing at a bus stop.

An excerpt regarding the accident, as seen in the Chicago Sun-Times article of November 25, 2017 titled “Woman, 24, injured when crash forces car into Glenview bus stop“:

A Nissan Maxima was speeding east on Golf Road about 7:10 a.m. near Washington Street when it rear-ended a Ford Taurus, according ot Cook County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari.

The crash forced the Taurus onto the sidewalk and into a bus stop, where it hit the 24-year-old woman, Ansari said. She was taken to a hospital and her condition was stabilized.

The driver of the Nissan was later identified as Ted Ramos, 47, of Glenview.

According to the article mentioned above, he “was taken into custody and charged with DUI and cited for failure to reduce speed, failure to carry or display a driver’s license and operating a motor vehicle without insurance…”

Additional details and possible updates concerning this accident in which a woman was hit by a car can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the November 25 abc7chicago.com article titled “Woman, 24, injured when crash forces car into Glenview bus stop.”

Pedestrian accidents continue to be a problematical aspect of traffic safety.  Various statistics for the Chicago area, as well as nationally, indicate that the problem is increasing.  As seen in various reports as well as various individual pedestrian accidents summarized on this site, when a person is hit by a vehicle a broad range of serious accident injuries are likely to occur.  For many of those who are struck, injuries are of a fatal nature.  These fatalities occur either at the accident scene or some time period later.

Various medical and legal aspects regarding pedestrian accidents are further discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

There was a fatal pedestrian accident Wednesday night (October 25, 2017) in Des Plaines.  The accident happened as a woman was crossing the street.

According to information provided by Des Plaines Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, the accident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m., as a woman was attempting to walk across the street in the 1400 block of East Touhy Avenue.  She was struck by a vehicle in the westbound outer lane.

The woman was identified as Sneh Badhwar, 69, of Michigan.

She was taken to Lutheran General Hospital for treatment of her accident injuries.  She was declared dead at 9:30 p.m.

An excerpt regarding the crash, from the October 26, 2017 Daily Herald article titled “Pedestrian dies in Des Plaines crash“:

Police said she had crossed in a poorly-lit area of the road and without a crosswalk. The driver did not appear to be intoxicated or impaired.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal pedestrian accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the October 26 CBS Chicago article titled “Woman, 69, Fatally Struck By Vehicle Crossing Street In Des Plaines.”

As previously discussed on this site, pedestrian accidents involving people who are walking in crosswalks at the time of the collision happen on a regular basis.  As such, one question that has arisen is whether crosswalks offer a “false sense of security” for pedestrians.

Various statistics for the Chicago area, as well as various individual pedestrian accidents summarized on this site, indicate a broad range of serious accident injuries for the pedestrians who are struck.  Many of these accidents have led to fatal injuries.

Two recent Chicago-area pedestrian accidents have involved pedestrians who have been struck while walking in crosswalks.

The most recent accident happened on Touhy Avenue in Niles on Friday morning, October 13, 2017.  In this accident, a woman was crossing the street in a crosswalk, but against the light.  The woman was struck by a car and later died.  The accident is summarized in the October 13, 2017 Niles Herald-Spectator article titled “Lincolnwood woman fatally struck by car while crossing street in Niles” as well as the October 13 CBS Chicago article titled “63-Year-Old Pedestrian Fatally Struck In Niles.”  Two excerpts from the Niles Herald-Spectator article:

Patricia Dahnke, of Lincolnwood, was crossing Touhy Avenue at Central Avenue around 5:48 a.m. when she was struck by a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu driven by a 60-year-old Chicago man, Niles police said in a news release Friday.

also:

Dahnke was crossing Touhy Avenue from north to south against the red light when the collision occurred, Tornabene said.

Police believe the driver did not initially notice Dahnke because, as she began to cross Touhy Avenue, a semi-tractor trailer was making a left turn from eastbound Touhy Avenue onto northbound Central Avenue, Tornabene said.

Patricia Dahnke was 63 years old.  She was pronounced dead after being taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.  The driver of the car was ticketed for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The other pedestrian accident resulted in non-fatal accident injuries and happened on Wednesday morning (October 11, 2017) in Palatine.  This accident is discussed in the Daily Herald article of October 13, 2017, titled “Driver charged with striking Palatine High School student in crosswalk.”  An excerpt from the article:

Police say the 23-year-old driver of a 2007 Audi A4 was going the wrong way at a high rate of speed when he struck a 17-year-old female student about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday in the one-way student drop off lane. The student was walking through a marked crosswalk, police said.

The student was taken to the hospital for treatment of accident injuries including head injuries and unspecified injuries to the lower extremities.

Additional details regarding these two pedestrian accidents can be seen in the sources mentioned above.  Additionally, various aspects of Chicago pedestrian accidents – including what to do if you are struck by a vehicle while walking – are discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

There was a fatal pedestrian accident Saturday afternoon (August 26, 2017) in Chicago’s Norwood Park neighborhood.

Details regarding the accident are somewhat limited.

According to Chicago Police, the accident happened at 3:35 p.m., in the 6200 block of West Devon, which is near the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve. The pedestrian, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as Joseph Giljum, 36, of Chicago, was struck by a vehicle.  

Giljum was pronounced dead after being taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

A subsequent autopsy found that he died of multiple blunt force injuries.

This fatal Chicago pedestrian accident remains under investigation by the Chicago Police Major Accidents Investigation Unit.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the August 27 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Man fatally struck in Norwood Park” as well as the August 28 Streetsblog Chicago post titled “No Citations for SUV Driver Who Fatally Struck Joseph Giljum, 36, Near Caldwell Woods.”

Pedestrian accidents continue to be a significant traffic safety concern in the Chicago area, as well as nationally.  Such pedestrian accidents are increasing.  There have been various stated reasons for this increase.  One reason cited is the increase in distracted driving, as well as “distracted” walkers.

Further adding to concerns for pedestrian safety is that many pedestrian accident happen while people are walking in areas that are supposed to be “safe.”  As discussed often on this site many people who are hit by vehicles are walking in crosswalks at the time of the accident.  As well, there are many other accidents – some fatal – which happen as a pedestrian is walking on a sidewalk when they are hit by a vehicle that has left the roadway.

One example of a fatal Chicago pedestrian accident that happened after a vehicle left the roadway is seen in the accident that happened Friday night (June 2, 2017) on Chicago’s Northwest Side.  Two vehicles were involved in a collision, after which one vehicle hit two pedestrians.

An excerpt regarding the fatal pedestrian accident, from the Chicago Sun-Times article of June 3, 2017 titled “Pedestrian killed in 2-vehicle crash on Northwest Side“:

One vehicle was westbound just after 9 p.m. in the 4700 block of West Addison when it hit a second vehicle that was turning from Addison onto Keating, according to Chicago Police. The first vehicle then hit two pedestrians before crashing into a building.

One of the pedestrians, 58-year-old Edith Guevara, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 10:02 p.m., police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. She lived in the Belmont Gardens neighborhood on the Northwest Side. An autopsy Saturday showed she died from multiple blunt force injuries and her death was ruled an accident.

The other pedestrian, identified only as a 54-year-old man, was also taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center for treatment of his accident injuries.

The driver of the second vehicle, identified as a 28-year-old woman, was taken to Community First Medical Center for medical treatment.

The driver of the first vehicle was identified as a 65-year-old woman.  She refused medical treatment.  According to Chicago Police, she was cited for  failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to keep in a lane.

The Chicago Police Major Accidents Investigation Unit continues to perform the accident investigation.