Sometimes, people in Illinois try to elude arrest for an alleged crime by fleeing from the police. When fleeing in their cars, people typically try to get away from authorities by speeding and driving recklessly with wanton disregard for their own safety and the safety of others. What results is usually a horrendous accident that often has a devastating outcome. Such seems to be the case in a recent accident in Hazel Crest that claimed two lives and caused life-threatening injuries to another.
Fleeing vehicle caused fatal crash
At some point on Tuesday night, Oct. 8, 911 dispatch received a call from a gas station at the intersection of Dixie Highway and 159th Street. The complaint was that a woman with a gun was inside the store who was very upset and vandalizing the establishment. No reason was given as to why the woman was irate. When police arrived, the woman reportedly exited the store, got into a vehicle and left the scene at a high rate of speed.
As per department policy, the responding officer stayed at least one mile back from the woman as she fled. The woman apparently never slowed and eventually crashed into a sign on 170 Street after swerving to avoid another car. The vehicle was split in half, and all three occupants were ejected. Two people were declared dead at the scene, and one was transported to a hospital in Oak Lawn with critical injuries. The report did not specify whether the woman who was driving the car was one of the initial fatalities, but it also mentioned the third victim succumbed to his or her injuries at the hospital, although that information was unconfirmed.
Seeking compensation
The surviving family of the deceased victims and any seriously injured victims in this accident reserve the right to pursue compensation. If the woman driver was one of the ones killed in the crash, her estate can be named in any lawsuits brought by affected parties. Those interested in pursuing compensation for their injuries and losses will need to work closely with an experienced personal injury attorney in Illinois for assistance.