Pedestrian accidents are notoriously deadly for the victim involved in a collision with a larger, heavier motor vehicle. Even at a very low speed, the likelihood is great a pedestrian will die when struck by a moving car, minivan, SUV, delivery truck, semi, bus, or train.
For safety agencies and advocates of pedestrian accidents and their loved ones, even a single pedestrian fatality on our Chicago streets is unacceptable. Today’s reality is that the number of severe or fatal pedestrian accidents suffered in the Chicago metroplex is shockingly high.
Our Chicago streets are extremely dangerous for all pedestrians. Everyone in our local communities should be aware of the risk they or their loved ones are taking as a pedestrian in the Chicagoland area.
Recent Fatal Chicago Pedestrian Accidents: Warning to All Chicagoans
Media coverage of recent Windy City pedestrian accidents shouts a warning to all Chicagoans. Consider the following examples from the past few weeks (this is a partial list):
1. 72-year-old Pedestrian Dies in Crosswalk Collision with Federal Express Delivery Truck: February 20, 2023
Around half-past two o’clock on a Monday afternoon, a 72-year-old senior citizen entered a crosswalk at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and South Wabash Avenue, intent on crossing the street from west to east. She could not have been moving fast using her walker, and reports are clear that she was using the crosswalk. In a horrific matter of seconds, a FedEx truck going west began a turn on Wabash and struck the senior as she walked across the street. She did not survive.
- For more, read “72-year-old woman struck, killed by FedEx truck while using walker to cross South Loop street,” published by ABC7-Chicago on February 20, 2023; and “Woman struck, killed by FedEx truck in South Loop,” written by CBS Chicago Team and published by CBS News on February 20, 2023.
2. 31-year-old Pedestrian Succumbs to Injuries Sustained in FedEx truck crash: February 25, 2023
In Glenview, Illinois, heralded as one of Chicago’s “13 Best Suburbs,” a 31-year-old woman was struck by a Federal Express truck as well as a white passenger car in a collision that took place in the early morning hours of February 25, 2023. The pedestrian was hit by the truck and the car on the Tri-State Tollway, I-294 near Central Road. The driver of the car fled the scene but was later apprehended and arrested by police. The pedestrian victim died as a result of her injuries.
- Read, “Suspect in custody after woman fatally struck by FedEx truck, car on I-294: Illinois State Police,” published by ABC-7 Chicago on February 25, 2023.
3. 30-year-old Pedestrian Fatally Injured in Side-of-Road Crash in Bolingbrook: February 23, 2023
Before dawn (5:00 a.m.) on a Wednesday morning, a 30-year-old woman from Joliet had car trouble. She had exited her vehicle and was standing at the corner of Joliet Road and 107th when a car struck her. Traffic was re-routed until mid-morning as police dealt with the scene. She perished as a result of the injuries sustained in the pedestrian crash.
- Read, “Joliet woman, 30, hit, killed while attending to disabled vehicle in Bolingbrook: police,” published by ABC-7 Chicago on February 23, 2023.
4. 28-year-old Pedestrian Perishes in Back of the Yards CTA Bus Crash: February 14, 2023
Around two o’clock on Valentine’s Day afternoon, a man entered the intersection of Ashland and 47th when he was hit by a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus. He suffered immediate, severe bodily injuries. Responders were forced to use air bags to hold up the huge bus to gain access to the pedestrian accident victim. He did not survive.
- Read, “Pedestrian killed after being struck by CTA bus in Back of the Yards: Chicago Police Department,” published by ABC-7 Chicago on February 14, 2023; and “Man gets hit by bus in Back of the Yards, dies,” written by CBS Chicago Team and published by CBS News on February 14, 2023.
5. 53-year-old Pedestrian Dies in Two Vehicle Collision in Chicago Suburb: February 2, 2023
It was after dark, reportedly at half past nine o’clock, when a 53-year-old pedestrian entered Wolf Road near Manchester Drive in the Chicago Suburb of Wheeling, Illinois, known as the home of the Chicago Executive Airport. Two motor vehicles, not identified in early news coverage, struck this pedestrian as they were both driving north on Wolf Road. She did not survive.
- Read, “Pedestrian hit, killed by 2 vehicles in north suburbs: Wheeling police,” published by ABC-7 Chicago on February 3, 2023.
6. 25-year-old Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident on Chicago’s West Side: January 27, 2023
In the late afternoon (5:45 pm) on January 27th, a 23-year-old woman was crossing West Washington Boulevard in Austin when she was hit by two motor vehicles that had just collided on the street. Both vehicles, a white SUV and a black sedan, struck the pedestrian accident victim. They both drove off, with police investigating the tragedy as a hit and run. She passed away as a result of her injuries.
- Read, “Woman struck by 2 vehicles in fatal South Austin hit-and-run, Chicago police say,” published by ABC-7 Chicago on January 28, 2023.
Pedestrian Accident Victims and Their Loved Ones: Legal Claims for Justice
Today’s reality is that in Chicago and elsewhere across the country, pedestrians are facing a horrifically high chance of being severely injured or killed in a pedestrian accident involving a motor vehicle. The danger faces not only adults of all ages but schoolchildren. The situation has become so dire the federal government has implemented its own national “action plan” to address the crisis of fatal pedestrian accidents.
For those who are victims of a motor vehicle accident as a pedestrian, there are various legal avenues for justice to investigate for both the pedestrian accident victim as well as their loved ones. These matters can be complex, with a number of companies or corporate entities (like employers, contractors, and others), as well as individuals (e.g., the driver) having liability under the law for what has happened.
Damages to be awarded can include medical expenses, funeral costs, rehab costs, pain and suffering, lost wages, lost future earning expenses, and more. Claimants can include the accident victim as well as family members (spouse; children; parents; other family members or dependents).
For more on pedestrian accidents, see:
- Walking Can Be Deadly: Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Indiana and Illinois
- Pedestrian Accident Deaths in Indiana and Illinois: The Rising Danger of Dying While Walking
- Deadly Pedestrian Accidents: Risk of Fatal Pedestrian Collision is Highest in Past Three Decades
- The Primary Cause of Fatal Child Pedestrian Accidents is the Vehicle.
People are dying in pedestrian accidents throughout the Chicago metropolitan area almost weekly here in 2023. This is wrong. Steps must be taken to make our streets safer for everyone. Until then, we all need to be aware of the dangers that exist for pedestrians today. Please be careful out there!
