Chicago Bicyclist Dies After Collision With Motor Vehicle In Niles

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According to news reports, a 72-year-old Chicago bicyclist died Monday morning after a collision between his bicycle and a motor vehicle in Niles. According to the Niles Police Department, the bicyclist, Stanley Lorkiewicz, was riding his bicycle in 7700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue near Jonquil Terrace in the northern suburb when he was struck by a motor vehicle. As the above map indicates, Milwaukee is two lanes headed both northbound and southbound. Jonquile Terrace is a small residential street.

After the collision, Mr. Lorkiewicz exchanged information with the operator of the motor vehicle and the police were called to the scene. Reports indicate that the police described the incident as a "minor accident." Apparently no traffic citations were issued by the Niles Police Department.

However, while the Niles police officers were writing up a report on the incident, Mr. Lorkiewicz collapsed at the scene. There is no indication how much time lapsed between the collision and Mr. Lorkiewicz collapsing. Mr. Lorkiewicz was then taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where he was subsequently pronounced dead at 8:48 a.m., according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. Without the exact results of the autopsy, the precise cause of death is not known. However, the trauma and the shock from the collision clearly played a role in Mr. Lorkiewicz collapsing at the scene. Under Illinois law, a person who causes a collision is liable for all injuries where the collision was a cause of the injury. The collision need not be the sole, exclusive cause of the injury. An example of this scenario is where a person with a heart condition suffers a heart attack due to a relatively minor collision. Even though the collision was minor, it was enough to trigger the heart attack.

This is a very sad and tragic situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Lorkiewicz and his family. 

Keating Law Offices is the premiere law firm handling bicycle-related cases in Illinois. The firm is committed to the representation of injured bicyclists and their families. If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-208-7702 or MKeating@KeatingLegal.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All e-mails and phone calls are returned promptly. All initial consultations are confidential and free.