Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A fatal Chicago car accident is being blamed on drag racing on westbound I-290, WGNTV reported.
Illinois State Police report that a passenger was killed and two other motorists were injured in the crash, which occurred last Sunday about 2:40 a.m. on westbound I-290 at Oakley Boulevard. Witnesses report that the two vehicles were drag racing when one of them left the road, overturned on the embankment and slammed into a tree.
A 28-year-old man in the front passenger seat was partially ejected. He was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. The driver of the vehicle was fully ejected and was transported to the hospital in critical condition.
A back-seat passenger suffered non life-threatening injuries. State police report that the second vehicle involved in the race left the scene.
A Chicago injury lawyer could be called to assist the passengers in this case collect compensation for medical expenses and other damages and may file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the passenger who was killed.
The NHRA reports that 1 in 20 motorists who engage in illegal street racing are killed as a result. The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office reports that drivers cited for drag racing or street racing will have their driver’s license suspended if convicted. The state categorizes drag racing as one of the most serious driving offenses, along with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident and fleeing police.