Authorities in the north suburb of Long Grove were called to the scene of an accident last night. When they arrived at the area of Illinois 83 and Westmoreland Drive, they determined that a pickup truck and a minivan collided near the intersection, causing serious injuries and damage to at least one vehicle. The driver of one car died and her passenger was critically injured while the conditions of those in the other vehicle are not presently known.
At this time, it is not clear why the two cars collided and whether either driver is at fault. In the area where the crash occurred, Illinois 83 is a four lane divided road that intersects with Westmoreland Drive in a “T” intersection where drivers can turn from north or southbound I-83 onto eastbound Westmoreland Drive only. The speed limit on I-83 is 45 miles per hour and on the quiet Westmoreland, drivers are limited to traveling only 25 miles per hour.
Officials have been able to confirm that a female was driving a blue 2011 Honda CRV and that this vehicle collided with a red 2007 Ford F10 pickup truck. The driver of the CRV died at the scene and a female passenger in her car was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in critical condition.
There are hundreds if not thousands of factors that can lead to or cause a car crash and in many cases, it is the combination of several factors that actually cause a collision to occur. In 2011 alone, there were over 281,000 car accidents within the state of Illinois and in those accidents, 918 people lost their lives. An additional 84,172 people involved in car accidents sustained personal injuries. This means that statistically, about 2 percent of all Illinois residents are involved in a car accident every year, meaning that the chances are high that you know someone who has recently been a victim of an accident or had their family affected by a car crash.
To reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities, people on all sides of transportation are taking steps to increase awareness and safety. Legislators have enacted tough laws against driving and driving or driving under the influence of drugs. Additionally, police officers look for traffic violations and attempt to curb unsafe behavior by issuing citations or warnings to offending motorists. Hopefully, if a driver is warned about speeding or running a red light, the driver will alter his or her behavior before a collision happens.
Car manufacturers have also taken significant steps in recent years to increase safety features on cars. Many modern vehicles have been designed to warn drivers when a car is in their blind spots, when a driver starts to veer outside of a designated lane, and when a driver is too close to a vehicle in front of him or her. In the event of an impact, most cars now have airbags and exterior bodies designed to absorb an impact, leaving the passengers protected from as much harm as possible.
If you have been the victim of an auto accident and you sustained injuries, call the Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a free, no obligation telephone consultation. We have a lawyer standing by 24 hours a day to take your call at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442. Call us and let us help you today.
Prior Blog Entries:
Nissan Plans Self Driving Cars by 2020 With Goal Of Crash-Free, Fatality-Free Vehicles, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published August 28, 2013.
DUI Driver Who Fled Scene of Fatal Crash Gets 7 Year Prison Sentence, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published August 23, 2013.
Resources:
Authorities: 1 killed, 1 critically hurt in Long Grove wreck, by Rosemary Regina Sobol, Chicago Tribune, published September 5, 2013.