A bicyclist was killed in suburban Bridgeview on Tuesday evening. The person was fatally struck by the driver of a motor vehicle while either walking or riding their bicycle. The crash occurred on the 87th Street Bridge between Oketo Avenue and 78th Avenue at about 6:50 p.m. The 87th Street bridge is a long bridge with multiple lanes.
An autopsy of the victim found that the person died of multiple blunt force injuries and the death was ruled an "accident." The use of the term "accident" only means that the crash was not caused intentionally. The term "accident" in this context does not mean that the crash was determined to be unavoidable. In fact, the driver of the vehicle that killed the pedestrian was taken into custody by police and charges are pending.
There are specific sections of the Illinois Vehicle Code that protect individuals, whether they are walking or riding their bike, in situations such as this. Here are a few key sections of the Code:
- Section 11-1003.1 states: “[E]very driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian, or any person operating a bicycle or other device propelled by human power and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary . . . .”
- Section 5/11-1002(e) states: “Whenever stop signs or flashing red signals are in place at an intersection or at a plainly marked crosswalk between intersections, drivers shall yield right-of-way to pedestrians as set forth in Section 11-904 of this Chapter.”
- Section 11-601 requires drivers to reduce the speed of their vehicle to avoid a collision.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim of this crash as well as their family and friends.
Keating Law Offices is the premiere personal injury law firm representing victims of bicycle accidents in Illinois. The firm is based in Chicago, Illinois and represents clients throughout Illinois. If you have any questions regarding this post or have a question regarding personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating at 312-239-6787 (Office) or 312-208-7702 (Nights/Weekends). Our staff and operators are available around the clock. You can also email Mike@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.