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A man died in a two vehicle crash involving a drunk driver around 3 a.m. Sunday morning on Chicago’s South Side. The man was pronounced dead about an hour later after being transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. According to the fire department, one of the cars involved in the incident collided with a pole.

Others were also injured, but the crash is still under investigation as authorities have not identified which driver involved was intoxicated. Paramedics transported the other passengers in critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Another person was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reported that DUI related crashes are three times as likely to occur at night as during daylight hours. These incidents often result in serious or fatal injuries.

The Active Transportation Alliance and other cyclist groups have recently levied heavy criticism against the Illinois Department of Transportation for its failure to keep records on cycling injuries and deaths that result from ‘dooring’. ‘Dooring’ accidents, considered by many to be the most common type of vehicle-bicycle accident, occurs when a vehicle door is opened into the path of a bicyclist. The Active Transportation Alliance has launched a campaign to increase dooring awareness. The group considers dooring accidents to be the biggest threat to cyclists in the Chicago area. The group has conducted informal surveys that show nearly half the people that bike in the Chicago area have been doored at least once. The surveys, however, cannot be backed by solid statistics as IDOT has not required law enforcement agencies to track the accidents. The ATA estimates that the exclusion of dooring accidents from crash counts likely decreases vehicle-bike accident numbers by at least 15 percent statewide.

A City of Chicago statute carries fines ranging from $150 to $500 for opening a vehicle door in the path of a cyclist. The Chicago law also requires motorists to stay at least 3 feet away from cyclists and bans driving within the bike lanes. Chicago tracks dooring accidents and reports them to the State however IDOT foes not maintain the data. Chicago Police reported sixty six dooring accidents in 2010 and sixty two in 2009. There are similar state laws regarding the distance a motorist must keep from a cyclist and passing cyclists, however there is no state statute addressing dooring.

If you have any questions regarding dooring accidents or any other bicycle accidents in or around Chicago and would like to speak with an experienced injury attorney, please click here.

A Naperville North High School counselor and coach was indicted on eight counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse early this morning. The accused, 33 year old John Carbonaro of Warrenville, IL, allegedly maintained a relationship with a 16 year old student from July 2010 through October 2010. The sexual abuse indictment included allegations that Carbonaro had inappropriately touched the 16 year old. He has been released on $20,000.00 bond and is scheduled for arraignment on March 23rd. He has been suspended by Naperville Unit District 203 with pay and removed from all duties and responsibilities according to school district policy.

The accused has been an employee of the Naperville school district since 2006. A spokesperson for the District has indicated that Carbonaro was an assistant girls’ softball coach and golf coach at the High School. Carbonaro’s lawyer has released a statement flatly denying the allegations and has vowed to fight the matter at trial. More information regarding the specific sexual abuse allegations remains unavailable at this time.

If you have been the victim of childhood sexual abuse, you should consider contacting a civil attorney. A civil attorney may be able to bring a civil sexual abuse case even if the accused is already being criminally prosecuted. To speak with an experienced Illinois sexual abuse lawyer, please click here.

An elderly woman was killed last Friday when she was fatally hit by a minivan on Chicago’s south side. The fatal pedestrian-car accident occurred at Southwest Highway and Illinois Route 83 in Palos Park, IL. According to reports, the accident victim was walking to her mailbox on the afternoon of December 3rd when she was struck by a Dodge caravan minivan. She was discovered by police underneath the wheels of the minivan. Reports indicate that the driver did not see the victim walking at the time of the tragic Chicago car accident. Both the victim and the driver were residents of the Edelweiss on the Lake residential complex in Palos Park.

The Chicago pedestrian accident victim was pronounced dead at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, IL, at 5:39 p.m. The Palos Park Police Department has not issued any citations as a result of the crash as the investigation remains ongoing. Police have indicated that road conditions did not appear to be a contributing factor in the crash. Preliminary reports have also indicated that the driver of the vehicle did not appear to be impaired. The death of the car accident victim has been ruled an accident. The Palos Park Police Department is working with officers and officials from Alsip, Chicago Ridge, Hickory Hills and Palos Heights to investigate the tragic crash.

If you have any questions regarding Chicago area pedestrian accidents or would like to speak with an attorney, please click here.

An Elgin area motor vehicle accident left three injured last night in the far western Chicago suburbs. The Illinois car accident occurred on Illinois Route 31 between Interstate 90 and Airport Rd. around 10 p.m. According to police spokesperson Sue Olafson, two unidentified men were pushing a black Ford Mustang northbound when the accident occurred. The Mustang was reportedly rear-ended by a white Chevrolet Corsica that was also travelling northbound on Illinois Route 31. The accident victims were all outside of the vehicle when the accident occurred.

Two of the Chicago car accident victims were rushed to local hospitals in critical condition. The third victim, who had been pushing the Mustang at the driver’s side door, was listed in good condition following the Chicago area car crash. Information related to the vehicle accident was made available by local authorities including police spokesperson Sue Olafson. The police are still investigating the Chicago car crash.

Current specifics regarding the Chicago area car accident remains scarce.

A Chicago car accident left one woman dead and two men injured yesterday afternoon on the city’s northwest side. The accident occurred near in the 5600 block of W. Devon Ave. around 2:46 p.m. According to reports, the deadly Chicago car crash was initiated when a driver heading westbound on Devon crossed the center lane into eastbound traffic and collided with two other vehicles. The wrong way driver, a 26 year old resident of Plainfield, IL, was driving a 2005 Toyota Corolla. The Corolla reportedly crossed into oncoming traffic colliding head-on with a 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis taxicab. The Toyota was severed in half as a result of the collision while the taxicab burst into flames. A 1990 Toyota Corolla was also involved in the Illinois car accident.

The driver of the 2005 Corolla was ejected from her vehicle as a result of the collision. She was pronounced dead on the scene of the crash. The drivers of the taxi and the 1990 Toyota Corolla were taken in serious to critical condition to Advocate General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL, according to a Fire Department Spokesman. Investigation of the accident temporarily closed Devon Ave. between Milwaukee and Caldwell avenues in the Caldwell Woods Forest Preserve. No citations have been issued in relation to the deadly crash and the matter remains under investigation by area authorities.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident, you should contact a Chicago personal injury attorney with experience handling these often very tough matters. The Klest Law Firm has over twenty eight years of experience advocating on behalf of car accident victims in and around Chicago. To speak with an attorney, please click here.

A West Chicago man was killed last Sunday in the western suburbs in a tragic automobile accident. The fatal Chicago car crash occurred at the intersection of Butterfield Rd. in unincorporated Wheaton, IL, around 8:40 p.m. according to the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office. According to reports, a 23 year old Warrenville, IL, was driving a 2004 Dodge Dakota eastbound on Butterfield Rd. approaching the intersection of Arrowhead drive. At that point, the 81 year old West Chicago man attempted to turn his 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis on to westbound Butterfield Rd. At that point, the front of the Dakota reportedly struck the drivers side of the Grand Marquis.

The driver of the Grand Marquis was immediately rushed to Central DuPage Hospital immediately following the tragic Chicago car accident. He was pronounced dead at 1:49 a.m. from injuries arising out of the crash according to the DuPage County Coroner’s Office. Butterfield Rd. was closed from Herrick to Orchard for about three hours following the car crash for investigation. Police are still investigating the fatal Chicago car crash and no traffic citations have yet been issued.

If you have been involved in a fatal Chicago car accident it is important that you contact an attorney as soon as practicable to investigate the accident and preserve potentially important evidence. The Klest Law Firm has over twenty eight years of experience handling car accident cases in and around Chicago, Illinois. To speak with an attorney at the Klest Law Firm, please click here.

A three vehicle accident on Chicago’s south side involving two semi-trucks resulted in four injuries last Monday night. The truck accident occurred on Chicago’s busy Dan Ryan expressway around 10:40 p.m. According to reports, the vehicles were southbound in local lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway when a semi truck rear-ended a vehicle as it approached slowing traffic. That semi was then rear-ended by another semi truck. The three vehicle Chicago car accident occurred near the 63rd St. exit according to Illinois State Police. The second semi caught on fire shortly thereafter.

A woman and three men were injured in the Illinois truck accident. One of the accident victims was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, IL, while another was taken in serious-to-critical condition to the University of Chicago Hospitals. The other two accident victims were taken to University of Chicago Hospital and St. Bernard Hospital respectively. The driver of the second semi truck received a traffic citation for following too closely. The Illinois Department of Transportation crews had cleared the accident scene by about 3:15 a.m.

Expressway truck accidents are often very serious as the accidents occur at high speeds and on busy roads. If you have been injured in a semi truck accident and would like to speak with an experienced Chicago injury lawyer, please click here.

A recently released technical service bulletin provides evidence that dealerships across the country were aware of unexpected acceleration deficiencies in 2002 Toyota Camry vehicles. The document, which was sent to every U.S. Toyota dealership in late August of 2002, stated in part, “Some 2002 model year Camry vehicles may exhibit a surging during light throttle input at speeds between 38-42 mph.” The release of this information comes on the heels of a series of car accidents related to the acceleration malfunction. Safety analysts have documented an estimated 2000 cases in which owners of Toyota vehicles including Camry and Prius models surged to speeds of up to 100 miles per hour.

Toyota has claimed that the incidents are the result of defective floor mats which can trap accelerator pedals causing car accidents. Toyota has recalled more than 2.3 million vehicles since January. The manufacturing giant claims that independent testing failed to find problems with the electronic throttle controls. However, the document which was released to Toyota dealers, did cite electronic controls as a cause of the acceleration. The document mentioned nothing about defective floor mats.

Most victims of the malfunctioning Toyota vehicles have maintained that the glitch was electronic in origin all along. The released documentation comports with the assertion that the vehicle malfunctions were not caused by faulty floor mats.

A Chicago Metra train collision resulted in the death of one pedestrian around 5:00 p.m. last night. The Illinois train accident occurred about 200 feet before the Rogers Park station at 7000 N. Ravenswood on the Metra Union Pacific North Line. The North Side line is commonly used for students. According to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford, the train operator reported striking the pedestrian just south of the station. The train was stopped for around 110 minutes at the intersection of Thome and Ravenswood. The northbound train was en route to Waukegan.

The victim is reportedly a male in his twenties. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. An autopsy of the victim by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is scheduled for today.
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