One person was hurt recently when a senior citizen reportedly drove a sedan into an Apple computer store in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The vehicle allegedly shattered the store’s glass walls before it stopped several feet inside of the business. According to Chicago Fire Department Spokesperson Joseph Roccasalva, paramedics transported a single individual to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The elderly driver was purportedly uninjured in the accident.
The exact cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the Chicago Police Department. Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Joshua Purkiss said it appears that the aged driver simply lost control of the Lincoln Town car before he drove into the building. According to one Apple store customer, the car’s tires were screeching as it drove into the building. The man said he ran in order to avoid being struck by the sedan. Another witness, Shirley Susman, stated that the driver narrowly avoided hitting more than one shopper.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data found that although 15 percent of licensed drivers were over age 65 in 2008, only eight percent of all motor vehicle crashes that year involved an elderly motorist. Still, senior citizens accounted for 15 percent of all traffic fatalities across the country. In addition, about 18 percent of pedestrian deaths in 2008 involved an older American. Interestingly, approximately 80 percent of senior citizen traffic deaths in 2008 occurred during the day and 69 percent involved another vehicle. According to the NHTSA, older drivers involved in traffic wrecks were also more likely to use a seat belt and less likely to be operating a vehicle while intoxicated than other age groups.
Motorists in Illinois are required to renew their license to drive every four years. Once a driver reaches age 81, however, the renewal process accelerates to every two years. Drivers who are aged 87 or above must renew their operator’s license every year. In addition, Illinois motorists who reach age 75 must also take a road test each time they renew their driving license. If you were injured in a traffic wreck that was caused by an elderly or other driver, you should contact an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as you are able.
If you were hurt in an unexpected motor vehicle collision, please contact the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. Our hardworking Chicago area car accident attorneys are available every day of the week to answer your questions and help you file your personal injury claim. Our dedicated lawyers have years of experience advocating on behalf of clients who were harmed as a result of another driver’s negligence throughout the Chicago Metro. To speak with a capable car accident attorney today, do not hesitate to give Abels & Annes, P.C. a call at (312) 475-9596.
More Blogs:
Skokie Woman Accused of Killing Child in DUI Accident Refuses Cook County Plea Deal, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, January 15, 2013
Driver and Passenger Hurt After CTA Bus Hits at Least 20 Parked Cars on Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, January 9, 2013
Additional Resources:
Car drives into Apple store in Lincoln Park, 1 hurt, by Carlos Sadovi and Naomi Nix, Chicago Tribune
Car crashes into Lincoln Park Apple store, by Sarah Schulte, abclocal.go.com
Car Crashes Into Apple Store, Chicago.cbslocal.com